The Crying Planet
by Michiyo Ichimaru
Summary: Five years have passed since Saya entered her slumber. A lot has changed and some hasn't. When Saya is awoken prematurely, what will become of Saya, her friends, and her new enemies, as she enters a new fight, still fighting for tomorrow? HajiSaya
1. Ever After

The Crying Planet

A Blood+ Sequel

By Michiyo Ichimaru

A/N: I don't own Blood+ or Into the Woods. Into the Woods belongs to Stephen Sondheim. Blood+ belongs to various people including Aniplex. I am not making money, it's really just for fun, so I hope you'll enjoy it and leave a review. Thanks.

Chapter One: Ever After

Kai was sitting on the couch with two very lovable nieces sitting on either side of him and a big book on his lap. Both sets of eyes were staring at him intently, and he smiled. It really made him feel important, even if his only purpose was to finish telling the story and send them both off to bed before Julia and David got back home from work.

"And it came to pass, all that that seemed wrong was now right, the kingdoms were filled with joy, and those who deserved to were certain to live a long and happy life." Kai said, looking back and forth between the two girls and grinning from ear to ear. "…ever after…" The blue eyed one named Ayame was the first to react to Kai's long pause.

She was definitely her mother's daughter. With a pout, she practically jumped on him. "Keep reading, keep reading!" she chanted, flinging the doll in her arm around carelessly, as if she forgot it was there. Ayame loved attention, just like her mother. The second daughter, Celis, also reacted. However, she was smiling from ear to ear and laughing joyfully.

"Watch out, Ayame! You're going to fall." Celis giggled, sticking out her tongue. Ayame returned the gesture, but gave her sister a tackling hug instead of fighting back verbally. Kai watched them both struggle for a bit and smiled. He was glad to see them growing up happily like young kids were supposed to. He wanted to do that for Saya, as she slept.

It had been five years since he had put Saya in her grave. Every year they visited the grave at least once. Usually it was a picnic, since Kai knew just how much it suited their aunt who was resting there. Once he was sure he heard her stomach growl and laughed. Five years seemed so long, but he had been having a lot of fun, and he knew that he would wait the other twenty five years until Saya awoke.

"Alright, kids. It's time for bed you two!" he said, grabbing both of them around the waists and practically dragging them back to their rooms. Both of them were laughing and playfully kicking and pretending to fight back. However, he had learned that they enjoyed it and did it for them often. Seeing them smile was like seeing Saya smiling down on him. And Riku, too…

He was about to start carrying them up the steps, when he heard the front door slam open and a deep voice yell his name. Ayame broke free from Kai's arms and ran towards the front door, laughing and singing playfully. "AYAME!" Kai shouted, afraid that someone might hurt her, and sat Celis down on the steps. "Stay there… I have to get your sister!" he shouted, running after her.

The front door was half closed and Kai couldn't tell if the perpetrator was inside, or still outside waiting for him to come out. Ayame was nowhere to be found, and that scared him. What if someone kidnapped her? "This is bad… AYAME!" Just as he was about to grab his gun from the table, the door opened the rest of the way, and Ayame was brought back, kicking and screaming in the man's arms.

"She tried to… you have to come quick!" the man was wrapped in a dark cloak and there was blood on him. But the voice didn't go unheard. Kai took Ayame from him and sighed heavily in relief. Celis was standing in the doorway, watching the scene with a frightened yet curious look on her cute young face.

"Stay here, Ayame! I know you want to get out… I'll take you somewhere tomorrow. Right now, there's something I have to… do…" Kai said, looking at the panting man. "It's you…" he said, slowly recognizing the voice that he had heard call to him. "What's wrong?!" he asked frantically. "Is she alright… Haji?"

Haji removed the hood and frowned. "Please just trust me." Pulling the hood back up, he ran back outside into the street, towards the place where Saya was resting. Kai ran after him, locking the door of the Omoro, just in case one of the kids would try to find out where he was going. Jumping on his bike, he raced to the place where Saya was.

There were a lot of strange people there, most of them mutated and part Chiropteran. All of them were idly clawing at the door to Saya's grave. While it seemed that they were weak and mindless, as soon as Haji and Kai came near, all eyes were on them. Each of them had red eyes that bore deep. Yet these weren't like the Chiropterans that Kai had seen before. Somehow, these were different.

"If I move them and the door, you have to get Saya out of here safely. Promise me." Haji said, pulling out a set of small daggers and throwing off the bothersome cloak that made it harder for him to move around. Nodding determinedly, Kai got ready to run through the first opening he got. 'For Saya…' he thought.

Ayame climbed up onto the large windowsill with a huge smile on her face. "Think he's a friend of Uncle Kai?" she asked swaying back and forth on her feet. Celis shrugged. Although she felt drawn to the man, she was also afraid of the expression she saw on his face. "I'm going too!" Ayame shouted, pulling the window open from the inside. Celis shrieked and ran to try and stop her.

"No! Don't do it! You heard Uncle Kai… we have to stay here!" she said, grabbing on to Ayame's left foot. Ayame jumped from the window and all Celis could do was hold on to her until her shoe fell off. Scowling at Celis for a second, Ayame pouted. But it was soon forgotten when she remembered the adventure she was on.

"Come ON! Can't you FEEL it? Can't you HEAR it?" Laughing, Ayame began to skip down the road, singing. "Journey over, all is mended, and it's not just for today. But tomorrow, and extended... ever after!" Celis curled up in a ball on the windowsill and began to cry. She had heard it once in her nightmare, but she never wanted to hear it again.

It was like an aria from a famous Opera… nothing like the song Ayame was singing. And yet Celis got a weird shiver whenever her sister sang. They never told Kai, but that had been one thing they agreed on. They promised that they would be good so that they would never have to leave this happy place.

'What if Kai kicks Ayame out for disobeying him?' Celis wondered, devastated. She couldn't be without her sister, especially in a world where they had no mother or father. Kai and this family was all they had. And Celis had been so looking forward to seeing her Aunt, whom Kai talked to them about often, usually when they asked about their mother…

Gathering all her courage, Celis decided to follow Ayame and protect her. "If anything, we must stick together." She sniffled, slowly climbing out the window. Outside, the song was even stronger than before and she shivered. "No…" she cried, collapsing to the ground and throwing her hands up over her ears to drown out the sound.

Pushing through the cloud of Chiropteran, Kai grabbed Saya's cocoon and quickly ran with it back to his motorcycle. Haji was fighting furiously to keep them all as far away from Saya as he could. Kai knew that Haji had visited Saya… he saw the rose. But Haji never stayed. Now it seemed like a weight had been lifted off his chest upon seeing Haji… 'Saya will always be safe, as long as she has him.'

"GO!" Haji shouted, pushing another Chiropteran up against the wall and slicing off his left arm in the process. "Take the kids too. Don't let them get out, especially not…" But it was too late, the little girl was standing in the middle of the road, and he saw her. Kai followed Haji's eyes and was shocked beyond all belief when he saw Ayame.

Her eyes began to glow the same eerie shade of blue that her mother's eyes had, and Kai quickly grabbed her away. Never ever would he let her become what Diva had once been. With Saya and Ayame, he returned back to the house. But when he got off of his motorcycle to carry the cocoon somewhere safe, he realized that it had been torn open and that Saya was beginning to thrash about with her hands up…

…over her ears. Cradling her as gently as he could without letting her get free, he dragged both her and Ayame into the house and locked all the windows and doors. "Saya!" he shouted, going down onto his knees to comfort her. "Please… it's alright… you're safe!" he said, holding both of her shoulders and gently rocking her back and forth. But her eyes were wild with pain and fear.

Suddenly, her eyes dilated and she stopped writhing. The door burst open again and was quickly slammed back shut. "… Is she alright?" Haji asked softly, not wanting to disturb her. Kai wasn't sure… he had never seen the process happen before, but he was scared… he didn't want anything to happen to Saya.

Reaching out suddenly, Saya grabbed Haji's arm and pulled him closer. Haji made a startled sort of gasp but he was smiling. "She's not going back to sleep, and she's definitely not reacting the way she had in Vietnam." This made Kai extremely happy. But then he remembered that she hadn't remembered anything before… would she have forgotten… everything?

Ayame stared at the woman and the man whose arm she was clinging to. "…Saya? This is… Auntie?" she asked, smiling widely. "I knew it! I'm so happy!" she said, hugging the young woman, who's eyes instantly flashed back open, unable to identify the identity of the one who was touching her.

Trying to pull away from the little girl, Saya tightened her hold on Haji's arm and started wiggling again. "…Diva…" Saya muttered softly, going rigid again, and falling back into her content sleep. Haji smiled and took her back to the room that was hers and laid her on the bed until she woke again… this time, of her own accord.

Startled by Saya's actions, Ayame began to cry. "Does she hate me? Why!?" she cried, hugging Kai's stomach. Patting the girl's head, he watched as Haji came back down the stairs. "What's going on?" she asked, frightened. "Who are you?" she asked, reaching out to touch Haji's right arm and gasping.

"A friend." Kai smiling. "A very good friend who's been gone for a long time, and someone your Aunt cares about very much. When Saya wakes up you'll understand. She's just grouchy when you wake her up. She'll be better in the morning." He said softly, patting her hair. And he did something that shocked Haji and would have shocked Saya as well… he began to sing.

Mother isn't here now… Who knows what she'd say?

Nothing's quite so clear now… Feel you've lost your way?

You are not alone, believe me… No one is alone.

You move just a finger… Say the slightest word…

Something's bound to linger… Be heard.

No one acts alone, careful… No one is alone.

People make mistakes… Fathers, Mothers… People make mistakes

Holding to their own… Thinking their alone.

Honor their mistakes… Fight for their mistakes, everybody makes

One another's

Terrible mistakes

Witches can be right, Giants can be good

You decide what's right, you decide what's good

Just remember… Someone is on your side… Our side

Someone else is not

While we're seeing out side… Maybe we forgot

They are not alone… No one is alone

Hard to see the light now… Just don't let it go

Things will come out right now… We can make it so.

Someone is on your side…

At some point or another, Ayame fell asleep and Haji agreed to take her up to her room. Finding his way, he noticed one blue eye was opened and looking at him with a smile. "Friend…" she said, closing her eyes again and yawning. Laying her down for bed, he tucked her in and wondered how someone so much like her mother could be so different with a little love from their family.

"Will we get a happily ever after?" Haji asked, sitting on the edge of Ayame's bed and watching her sleep. Kai, who slouched on the door frame, smiled and nodded.

"I think so…" Kai said, patting Haji on the shoulder. "Come on. After Julia and David left to get their own house on the block, we decided that we'd keep the room open in case you came back. It was Saya's idea." Kai smiled, showing him the elegant but very empty room. Haji sat his cello in the corner and sat on the bed.

Always polite, Haji bowed his head. "Thank you." Kai laughed at the old-fashioned gesture.

"What are you talking about? You're family. Haji… you're always welcome here. Not just when we… or Saya… needs you. It's not just her… we all decided that you belong here. You deserve to be happy too. That is something that you've proved already." Kai smiled. "Well, I'm going to call Julia and David and tell them what's happened. Lulu should be back soon, too. Don't let her wake Saya up."

Haji nodded, and moved to the windowsill to watch for the purple-haired Sif.

Pacing back and forth, Kai waited, however impatiently, for someone to pick up the phone while grumbling something about already having one baby. When David finally answered, Kai was ready to bite of his head, but decided that screaming would work just as well. "Saya's awake! There were strange Chiroptera at the door to the grave when we arrived. Luckily, Haji and I got her back home. We need your help!"

"She's WHAT? I can't believe she's been woken up prematurely. And she hasn't done anything strange or… violent yet anything short of going crazy?" David asked, already getting dressed and forcing Julia to follow him. "Alright, well… we're on our way. I'll explain everything to Julia on the way. Just keep Saya calm and relaxed."

Kai grumbled in irritation, but then just gave in to agreeing and hanging up. Suddenly, he panicked and realized that Celis was missing. He was just about to call Haji when the door opened and Lulu came bounding in with a crying Celis in her arms. "Kaiiiiiii!" She wailed. "Why did I find Celi-Saa-chan in the front yard crying!? You're a bad parent!" she said, calming the poor child.

He really hated that nickname, but Lulu had been the comforting mother figure that they needed, so he couldn't argue with it. Running up the stairs, he came to Haji's room. "HAJI! I thought you were watching for… Lulu…" Haji had a still very-asleep Saya attached to his arm but he really didn't seem too bothered by it.

"Don't let Julia find her like that." Kai laughed. "We're supposed to keep her calm and relaxed and of course not move her any more than need be. Have to follow doctor's orders… David seemed really worried. So…" Lulu tapped him on the shoulder just in time to point out the car coming to a stop in front of the restaurant "Oh well, too late." Kai sighed. "Go tuck in Celis for bed, Lulu and I'll take care of them."

Lulu smiled. "Okay Celi-Saa-chan. You can spend more time with me, auntie, Uncle Kai, and Haa-san tomorrow! Okay? Maybe we can go see a movie or go to the mall if Saa-chan is up to it!" Lulu cooed to the girl, taking her to the same room where Ayame was already sleeping.

At this time, Lulu was a miraculous wonder. Still living strong, the thorn hadn't appeared on her at all yet and she was living every day to the fullest. In the backyard she put a memorial for all of her friends, the Sif, and promised that she would remember them and tell lots of other people about all the great things they had done and all the good they fought for.

Julia came in first, rushing upstairs quickly, but with a light step, so as not to disturb anyone. Kai didn't even have time to tell her that she was in Haji's room or where that was. Dashing after her, he left David to shut the door and lock it. Following both of them, soon, everyone had gathered in Haji's room to see the sleeping girl.

"Hmm… she seems very content. If she was going back to sleep, the cocoon would already have begun forming. I think Saya is fighting to come back to us. Her sleep pattern seems to have stabilized and returned to that of human habit. By tomorrow morning, just in time for breakfast, if I know Saya, she should be awake. Now I only wonder how her memories have fared… It seems they are in tact…" she smiled, looking at Haji, who didn't seem to like all the sudden attention he was getting, and turned away.

David smiled knowingly and turned to Kai and Lulu. "And how are the children? I suspect you have been taking VERY good care of them." He said dangerously. Lulu opened her mouth to tell him about coming home to find Celis on the ground outside crying, but Kai covered it quickly and smiled sheepishly.

"Great! They're in the next room if you want to see them. But with all that's happened, they just got to sleep, so let's save any talking and testing for tomorrow morning." Julia and David exchanged glances, but both agreed that that would be a fair solution, as they had to run some tests on Saya in the morning anyway. "Sorry I just gave your room away. I can pull out the couch bed for you." Kai said, hurrying to get it ready. "Please get me the extra pillows and blankets Lulu." He said as he passed her.

Nodding, Lulu flew to the attic to get them some sleeping tools, as she liked to call them. "Okay! Got them!" She shouted flashing all the way down to the living room with the couch. Kai was still struggling to get it open so she threw all the stuff down and rushed to help him pull it out for Julia and David. "Let's have a sleepover. We can all get together down here on the floor… we have enough blankets…"

She was smiling like she always did, and it always worked. Kai sighed and smiled. "Yeah, alright. But you better go get some more." He said, setting up the couch and then starting to spread out a few of the others as she continued to bring more down. Seeing what they had done, David smiled and plopped down on the couch.

"Good thing, too, because I already called Louis, the photographer, and that annoying girl who seems to enjoy following Okamura around wherever he goes. She might be able to help do some investigating…" Kai sighed. It had been a while since he had seen Mao. He wondered how she was doing…

Loud as usual, he concluded, and decided to leave it there. But there was something exciting about sitting there with the rest of the group, talking about what to do next. It meant that they believed Saya really WAS going to wake up. Even if it meant fighting more, that was okay by him, because this kind of happiness was worth fighting for it.

Having heard all the commotion, Ayame and Celis tip-toed downstairs. Lulu saw both of them and grabbed them up into a big hug. "What are you two cuties doing down here so late? Can't you sleep? Don't you feel well? Is something wrong?" she asked, squeezing them tightly, as they laughed and shook their heads.

"We heard lots of noises and we wanted to be down here with everyone else having fun too!" Ayame said, leaping over to Kai and sitting on his lap. "Finish the story from earlier… pleaaaaaase." She begged. Celis crawled over to him as well and nodded in agreement. Mao plopped down next to them and smiled.

"Yeah! I wanna hear it too!" Mao laughed, picking Celis up and sitting her on her lap. Celis smiled, playing with Mao's hair that dangled over her shoulders. Nodding, Kai grabbed the book from the table next to the couch and continued reading for the girls as the rest of the group listened intently. Julia watched the girls and smiled, seeing for herself that everything was alright.

From upstairs, Haji also listened as he combed his hands through Saya's hair with a small smile on his face. He closed his eyes and imitated Saya simply because to sleep is to know the value of waking up alive each morning and seeing the sun in the sky… Next to him, Saya continued to hold on firmly, not letting go for an instant.

"'Maybe I just wasn't meant to have children', the Baker said. To which, the ghost of his wife replied, 'Don't say that! Of course you were meant to have children.' He frowned. 'But how will I go about being a father with no one to mother my child?' In his arms, the baby began to cry. 'Just calm the child.' The ghost of his beloved wife sang. Even though she cheated on him, he still loved her. 'Yes, calm the child.' He agreed, trying to do so."

"'Look, tell him the story of how it all happened. Be father and mother, you'll know what to do.' His wife told him, encouraging him to open up to his child. 'Alone…' He added, being quite frightened of the concept. The ghost shook her head and began to sing to him and release him from his fear."

Sometimes people leave you

Halfway through the wood

Do no let it grieve you

No one leaves for good

You are not alone… no one is alone.

Hold him to the light now

Let him see the glow.

Things will be all right now.

Tell him what you know…

"And as the baby began to cry again, the Baker began to tell his story as it had begun. 'Shhh. Once upon a time… in a far-off kingdom… lived a young maiden… a sad young lad… and a childless baker… with his wife.' The witch had also learned a lesson upon death. Her ghost rose and told everyone what she had learned, better than anything else…"

Careful the things you say, children will listen.

Careful the things you do, children will see… and learn.

Children may not obey, but children will listen

Children will look to you for which way to turn,

To learn what to be.

Careful before you say, "Listen to me."

Children will listen

Careful the wish you make, Wishes are children

Careful the path they take

Wishes come true – not free.

Careful the spell you cast, not just on children.

Sometimes the spell may last past what you can see

And turn against you…

Careful the tale you tell - That is the spell.

Children will listen.

Though it's fearful, though it's deep, thought it's dark

And though you may lose the path

Though you may encounter wolves

You can't just act you have to listen

You can't just act you have to think

There are always wolves – there are always spells

There are always beans – or a giant dwells there

So into the woods you go again

You have to every now and then

Into the woods no telling when, be ready for the journey

Into the woods but not to fast or what you wish you lose at last

Into the woods but mind the past

Into the woods but mind the future

Into the woods but not to stray, or tempt the wolf or steal from the giant

The way is dark, the light is dim, but now there's you, me, her and him

The chances look small, the choices look grim

But everything you learn there will help when you return there.

The light is getting dimmer, I think I see a glimmer.

Into the woods you have to grope, but that's the way you learn to cope.

Into the woods to find there's hope of getting through the journey

Into the woods each time you go, there's more to learn of what you know

Into the woods but not too slow

Into the woods it's nearing midnight

Into the woods to mind the wolf, to heed the witch, to honor the giant

To mind, to heed, to find, to think, to teach, to join, to go to the festival

Into the woods

Into the woods

Into the woods

Then out of the woods…

And happy ever after!

"… I wish…" Kai finished, closing the book with a small thud. "The end." Both children looked at him expectantly. "What? That's the end, and you should be getting to bed young ladies! It really is nearing midnight…"

Exchanging glances, it was Celis who asked. "But… did they really live happily ever after?" Kai looked around the room at all his friends and the looked upwards, thinking of Saya and Haji as well as the future. Giving them both a hug and a kiss, Kai gathered them up with his strong arms.

Tucking them both in once he got them into their respective beds he gave them each a kiss. "I'm sure they did." He said to them. "Goodnight." Kai said, waiting for them to echo him and shut their eyes before he shut the door. Haji, having heard all of it, recalled where he heard it before.

Mao frowned. "Into the Woods? That's such a depressing musical… why couldn't you be like everyone else and read them Cats or something like that?!" she said, patting the spot next to her and sighing. "Even Phantom of the Opera's less depressing than that!" Julia sighed.

"Every time I hear Phantom of the Opera, I cry…" David tried rolling his eyes, but of course he got caught. "Still… who's to say that they didn't all live happily ever after? It's really up to you to decide what you think. It really is interesting though. These girls are so happy. I am proud of you Kai."

"Yeah… I guess you do make a pretty good dad." Mao laughed, ruffling up his hair. A long silence filled the room and Mao sighed. "Do you think we'll get a happily ever after, too?" she asked, looking around at everyone else. Kai's eyes widened and he smiled, remembering that Haji asked him the same question.

Thinking about it, he decided to keep his answer. "I think so… but even if not… maybe we can just have an "ever after", if not a happily ever after. At least, let's stay together." Everyone nodded and went to sleep in their respective space… until morning, when they would have to face tomorrow and a possibly very complicated future…

Aww, and I promised myself I would try to do only one multi-chaptered fic at a time. Oops. But I finished watching this series and knew that it couldn't be helped. I cried sooo hard. Anyway, I thought this was pretty good. I was also able to incorporate a musical I love very much… "Into the Woods" by Stephen Sondheim. All the songs used in this chapter came from it. I used the actual script and at least two songs, probably three. They aren't mine. Anyway, please review! and I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can.

Michiyo Ichimaru


	2. Someone Who Will Never Let You Down

The Crying Planet

A Blood+ Sequel

By Michiyo Ichimaru

A/N: I don't own Blood+ or the song "Someone's Watching Over Me" by Hilary Duff. Blood+ belongs to various people including, but not limited to Aniplex. I am not making ANY money or whatnot, because it's really just about me expressing creativity and having fun with it. So, I hope you enjoy it too and will take the time to leave a review. Thanks.

Chapter Two: To Become the One Who Will Never Let You Down

Warmth... It was a warming sensation that was building up in her heart, and then running through her veins. But it was cool and soothing to the touch unlike the fire building inside of her. That infernal song had ended, and she had been plunged back into darkness for a time, until she could comprehend. Beyond this invisible wall, she knew that there was light, and color, and sound, and she wanted to reach forward for it until she could take it and steal it for her own.

One eye tested the water, blinking and watching as the sun blinded her with her first burst of light and color. Saya shut her eyes again quickly, screeching as she curled up, trying to shy away from it. Her cries had awoken some sort of reaction, for she could feel her world moving. Blindly, she tried to run and hide. She was confused… lost… but warm. Only then did she realize she was running from the warmth that she had felt.

Stopping suddenly, she turned and ran back to that place, coming in contact with something large, but definitely something good. It was comforting to her to be here. The warmth was enveloping her once more, like her cocoon. Something was wrapping its way around her. The thought that it could be something dangerous didn't occur to her. Right here was where she wanted to be. But she couldn't stay in this perfect place forever. Her mind wasn't working right yet… there were lots of thoughts, all jumbled up, like a broken time-line.

"Saya…" A deep voice was calling out to her. It was unclear and fuzzy, but distinctly familiar and friendly. Her body was heavy and she could barely move, yet she wasn't falling. She was standing tall, supported above the ground by something unknown but also decidedly good. "Saya." Louder, and more clearly this time, Saya tried fitting the pieces of the puzzle together. 'Saya… that's… me!' she realized, trying to open her eyes again.

This time, her surrounding was much darker. It appeared to be a black outfit. Small amounts of light were streaming in, but she could handle it in portions. Blinking many times, her eyes slowly adjusted to the world around her. Her face was up close and personal with someone's jacket buttons. Then, suddenly out of nowhere, all the events of five years ago pieced themselves back together in her mind, as she tried to figure out what was going on now, where she was, how long it had been, why she was awake and… why she remembered.

It took no time for her to remember from there. The good and the bad… it was all there. Beginning to pool at the corners of her eyes, fresh tears appeared as she began to sob. Kai heard a scream and after he had finished breakfast, decided to go see how things were going. He knew that Saya needed Haji right now, especially when first awaking. But he was also very worried about her pre-mature wake and decided he would go and help if he needed to.

Without removing his other arm from around her, he took his right hand and bit into the demon-like claw, gathering as much blood as he could into his mouth, and bringing their lips together so that she could drink it all down. For a second, her eyes clamored with fear and uncertainty. But then she tasted the blood and let herself go as she drank. With his left hand, he wiped away her tears and the excess blood from her mouth.

"Haji…?" It came out like a croak. Saya didn't realize how hard it was to speak after five years of not speaking coherently. But her mind was racing once more, but this wasn't fear. This was joy, hope, and… something else. Once again, she tried, louder and now with certainty. More tears came, but these were born of happiness. "Haji!" Saya shouted, throwing her arms around him and just sobbing. Kai stood in the doorway with the big grin on his face that said everything that it needed to.

"…Is this real?" Saya asked, trying to contain herself. Haji smiled and wiped away her tears again. "Please don't tell me this is some cruel thirty year long dream…" she said, trying to laugh, but still really weak and scared. Haji shook his head and pushed her hair back out of her eyes. Indeed, her hair did grow fast in five years. It was already down past her shoulders and her bangs were covering her eyes.

Smiling the most real smile he had been able to wear in so many years, he shook his head. "You were awakened early… it has only been five years since you went to sleep. Some terrible creatures tried to tear up your sleeping grounds. It was obvious that they were some kind of Chiroptera, and yet… they are different from anything I have ever seen. Julia asked me to see my coat. She's going to take a look at the blood and do some investigating."

"Even now, you come to my side to save me and fight by my side." Saya said sadly, looking down at her feet, which were bare. "It's not fair…" Haji stopped her train of thought, lifting her chin to force her to look into his eyes. There, she was shocked by just how expressive his eyes were. She had never noticed before, but regardless of the fact that they were blue, nothing about them seemed cold or icy like the color would suggest. They were heated and passionate… about her…

Shaking his head softly, he caressed the side of her face. "What was unfair was the thought that I could lose you. Had you slept thirty years, you may have very well just woken up and have completely forgotten everything. You might have lost all that you worked so hard for. But this has allowed you to come back to spend this time with your family… and allowed you to remember… everything." Was that… embarrassment that shone in his expressive eyes?

Blinking a few times, Saya had to comprehend this. "So… cute!" Saya squealed, throwing her arms around him and holding him even tighter. "I never thought I'd see such a look on your face. These are the things I wanted to live for. Even if I have to fight longer… even if I never get to stop fighting, at least fighting for it helps me see how much it means to me. I'm sorry it took something like that to make me realize… Haji…"

Mao jumped in, pushing Kai out of the way. "BREAKFAST!" she shouted, not caring much to knock. "Mornin' sleepyhead." She said, ruffling Saya's hair with a smile. "We've been waiting, so march downstairs and eat some of that food I worked so hard to cook for you!" Saya smiled apologetically at Haji as she was practically pushed out the door and down the stairs. "Besides… everyone else wants to see you too. We really missed you."

With a little wink, Mao leaned into her ear and whispered, "Besides… it looked like he was going to eat you right there!" Saya blinked, unsure and a little bit frightened. She didn't know what that meant and she wasn't sure she wanted to know. Yet, it was in her innocent human upbringing to ask such questions without thinking.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She blurted out, much louder than she had intended. Everyone downstairs turned to look at her and her face turned a bright red. It just made sense for her to turn and run. But these stairs weren't wide enough for two people at the same time, and she ran head-first into Haji, quite forcefully. Just as she was about to jump back, as was her first instinct, Haji grabbed her and held her from falling.

Looking up, her face turned even darker. 'Is something wrong? You were yelling…" Mao was having a great old time, giggling at the bottom of the stairwell. Shaking her head, she quickly pushed away, still quite unaware of her surroundings and tripped on a step. Though she expected Haji to catch her, it was Mao, who was already in the right area, who caught her before she fell. Smiling at the poor red-faced girl she laughed unexpectedly. She didn't even plan on it. It was just… perfect.

Shaking her head, Mao helped Saya back up. "Man, Otonashi! Can't you take a joke?!" She sighed, shaking her head. "Never mind that! Go eat your breakfast!" she said, pushing the girl the rest of the way down the stairs. Haji was still very alert. Before, when she almost fell, he had been ready to rush to her. Allowing himself to relax in the slightest, he finished down the stairs and decided to wait at the bottom until Saya had finished eating and greeting the others.

'It is always going to be this way…' he told himself, allowing Kai to pass him and follow Saya and Mao into the kitchen.

Plopping down on one of the empty chairs, Saya smiled. "It feels so right… like a runaway finally coming home." Saya said. Julia, who was sitting to her right, smiled brightly, glad to see that all of her signs were good as far as physicality was concerned; however, there were still many tests she wanted to run. But right now, there were more important things to do, while the whole family was here. Kai pulled up another chair and disappeared only long enough to grab Haji by the arm and point at the chair.

"If you want to be part of this family, you're gonna have to snap out of that bad habit of yours. You aren't alone. And you don't have to be afraid to ask for things once in a while. Sometimes we actually WANT to know what you're thinking." Kai said, smiling and taking the other seat. Feeling everyone's eyes resting on him as if this was some huge life decision, he quickly sat down and the conversations went on as if it was very natural.

Even though it looked a bit lumpy in some areas, Saya smiled at the food hungrily, gulping down a bite of Mao's Chinese-style porridge and grinned from ear to ear. "This is wonderful!" she gasped, taking another huge spoonful. Mao stuck her nose in the air and sighed heavily.

"Must you sound so SURPRISED?!" Mao frowned, sticking out her tongue at Saya, which only made Saya laugh. Saya also stuck out her tongue and made a funny face, which surprised Haji very much. All the time he spent watching over her, he had never gotten this close to her in a real environment outside of just… fighting. It just came natural to him to imagine her as kind but determined. He never really imagined a silly Saya…

He didn't even realize that it happened. Everyone kind of stopped what they were doing and looked at him. "Haa-san was… laughing?" Lulu said with her extremely wide-eyed expression and giggled. "Haa-san laughed!" Saya looked just as surprised. As soon as Lulu pointed it out, he realized what he was doing and stopped, standing up rather quickly and exiting the room with a far-off expression on his face. Mao blinked and laughed.

Shaking her head, she smiled. "Wow… who would've guessed it. Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Mysterious has a really nice laugh. I never really thought about it though. I mean… I never thought I'd see the day. Leave it to you, Saya. You look so funny looking that even your guard-dog can't help but laugh." As soon as she said it, she realized that she shouldn't have. Panicking, Saya jumped up out of her chair and ran after Haji, afraid she might lose him, as fast as he could run.

But he had stopped at the garden out back, where the Omoro grew all of its fresh fruits and vegetables used in their famous dishes. Haji was leaning up against an apple tree. Quickly plopping down next to him, Saya leaned forward to get a good look at his face. "I'm sorry." She said, frowning. "Actually… I was really happy. This was what I had always secretly dreamed it would be like. Even though I knew that I would be killed, I couldn't help but imagine how wonderful it would be if we all just came back here to live together as a family."

"And… for a long time, I hadn't been able to see your smile. Today, that was the first time I heard you laugh in about a hundred years! And it made me so happy to see that look on your face. I thought maybe you felt like you wanted to be here. I was still a bit worried that you might not want to be here, and that you were doing it only because you knew that it was what I wanted. But I still hoped that you might want the same thing I did."

Haji placed his human hand on top of hers and squeezed it gently. "My wish is to see you safe and happy." He said quite honestly. But she knew better than that. With her other hand, she grabbed his right hand and removed the bandages so that she could lace her fingers with his.

"That's nice enough for a romance novel, but… what do you really want?" Saya asked, smirking at him as if she knew something he didn't. Frowning, Haji shook his head and turned away from her expectant gazes.

"That… I do not deserve." He said solemnly. Saya blinked and then looked away with a sad look in her eyes. It almost looked like she was ready to cry. Haji was shocked by the expressiveness in her eyes, as she returned her gaze to him and cupped his cheek.

Right then, their faces were only inches apart and it would have been so easy… but she had something to say. "Did I really make you feel that way? Have I been with you all this time, and let you believe that? You deserve everything, Haji… I wanted to let you be free. To free you and allow you be your own person… that was what I wanted ever since that day. But… I got to know you. You were so kind and gentle… and you really would have done anything for me."

Letting her forehead rest against his, she closed her eyes. "I was so afraid that you might leave me. That… if I let you go, you would find someone else and that you might leave me behind. So I was glad to have you bound to my side if it meant that I could spend eternity with you. I even let the people closest to me, and closest to the truth believe that was all you were. I never wanted them to see you as anything other than… mine…"

"But that was very selfish of me… because… I wanted to be everything to you…" she frowned. "But I just locked away all your words and turned you into a person with no wishes or wants except for mine. I am so ashamed… But when I heard you laugh today, I thought maybe… just maybe… that I wasn't wrong. I thought maybe…" Haji stopped her with a single finger to her lips and rested his good hand on the back of her neck. There was a smile on his face, and it was as genuine as it gets.

Mao hid carefully behind the tree, grinning impishly. Julia had asked her to get them so that she could tell them all about the mysterious results of her tests on the blood from the strange new Chiroptera. However, how was she supposed to interrupt them? Besides, it was just too cute to ruin. 'He really is amazing, though…It's because of him that she's safe and Kai's happy. The kids and Lulu have him to thank as well. And I got to be involved in something great… meet people… see the world…'

Smiling to herself, she decided that she'd give them one more minute before she broke their dream world.

Haji stroked her hair. "It really is all I've ever wanted. This place isn't like everything I've seen before. It's like Okinawa is wrapped up in something timeless and precious. Being so close to you… I wanted this. But it's been so long since I've been part of a family like this. I've been fighting too long… stayed silent too long… It takes time." He said. "Would you like me to cut your hair for you?" he asked.

Nodding, Saya smiled. "I would like that very much."

"HEY! Julia's finished analyzing that blood. She says that there's something you should hear. Of course she wouldn't tell us what was wrong when WE asked, but… anyway. I think she's worried about you Saya. Something about a blood transfusion." Exchanging glances, Saya nodded and stood up, reaching down to help Haji up too. Their hands met and lingered for a moment, before Saya excused herself to go see Julia.

Before Haji could follow, though… Mao grabbed his arm and gave him a big smile. "Hey! You can't wait forever you know. There are a lot of guys who would steal her away. If that's what you really want, you have to stop being afraid and just take it. Somehow, I don't think she'd mind." Mao winked, flitting off before he had the time to say something in return.

When he made it back, everyone was gathered around Julia, who had the blood samples up on her computer. "This is really interesting. You're going to want to hear this, Haji… The blood shows very odd resemblances to Saya's blood. However, I don't think it IS her blood. The only other person, who is blood-linked to Saya out of all of us… is you, Haji."

"You think they used his blood to modify these Chiroptera!?" Kai shouted incredulously. Saya looked shocked, but it was also more worried. "How did they get your blood in the first place?" Kai asked, running over all the events he remembered. Amsel had looked much too dead to have been saved. There shouldn't have been a way…

Saya frowned. "In that fight… Amsel… he…died. That I know. The bomb blew his pieces all over the crater. He couldn't have been put back together, even if they wanted to try to. Yet, I moved too soon…" Haji nodded bitterly, bowing apologetically, but Saya stopped him and held him up. "I was too quick to move… much too anxious to leave. And I got too tired and collapsed. When I woke up, I was even more drained than when I had fallen. I knew that something was wrong but… I just wanted to heal and return to your side."

"No. Do not apologize to me. You saved me. Please, tell us what you remember." She asked, putting her hands on his upper arms and pulling him closer.

There was a pause in which Haji contemplated what he should say. "I spent a lot of time in this black room. Only two people ever entered one way or the other: A young girl and the head CEO, who just happened to be a doctor. The little girl was the first test subject. She knew it, and though she seemed alright on the outside, she often told me that she was scared. Why did she have to? …because it was her father who had asked her." There may have been more, but he didn't seem interested in telling them any more.

"If it's a Chevalier's blood, we could have a problem. Even if it was Diva's blood before, it was just Diva's blood. Although she drank the blood of her Chevaliers, it was the nutrients of her blood that her body was seeking, and the rest was negated to leave just those good nutrients inside of her." David explained, having remembered Julia explaining Diva's situation to him once before.

"That's right." Julia said. "But this is the blood of Saya and Haji… mixed together, ever since the day she gave it to him to save him. Haji's blood is a strange and dangerous thing. It's what helps Saya heal and bring out the more dangerous side of her that can fight, and kill. And if they're making creatures with this blood, we have not just a problem… we have a BIG problem." Julia said, looking at all of them one at a time.

"Not only that, but if they are anything like Haji, fighting them is going to be a REAL pain." Louis laughed but he was serious and the others knew it.

Saya pulled Haji aside and led him upstairs, leaving the others behind to discuss Red Shield's next step. However, Saya needed to figure out what SHE was going to do next. And she didn't even know what she was supposed to say to him. It was really confusing and she didn't want to fight anymore if she didn't have to. Yet, she had a chance, and she wanted to fight for this… even if it was just a chance.

"Why did you do it in the first place?" Saya asked, closing the door behind her. "I might have been able to do it myself…" When she turned back to him, he was already standing by the window. But he never turned away from her. He was devout and determined. If there was something he could do, he would do it just because it was all for her… it was always for her. Although, he now knew that soon, he would have to express his own wishes, or lose the chance of ever getting them.

But if it was him or her, he would always put her first. Ever since he found the scared girl, that had been his first priority.

_I found myself today…_

_Oh I found myself and ran away…_

"Because… I wanted to become someone who will never let you down." Haji said, stepping forward and taking both of her hands in his and dropping on to his left knee. Frightened as she was by the seriousness in his eyes, it warmed her heart. Even if it meant fighting, she was awake, with all her memories. There had to be a reason… like fate.

…_Something pulled me back…_

_Voice of reason I forgot… I had._

"Still, the only way you can ask someone to be the kind of person who never lets you down, is by not letting them down. Let's get through this together. And then, we can figure the rest out along the way. So that we can do things right!" Saya said, smiling and pulling him to his feet.

_Someone's watching over me…_

Julia came bursting through the door. "Look at this!" she said, holding out a page she had printed off the computer. "It shows another additive. David and Louis are going with Okamura to investigate the scene. We have Mao calling as Okamura's apprentice. We gave her some numbers to check some things out from last time. Until we hear back from them, I was hoping that you two might look into an attack on a street not far from here, Saya."

Looking over at Saya's Chevalier, Julia smiled. "When you get back, I was wondering if you'd take the time to describe more of the place you were held, Haji. Finding that place is an important part of this investigation, and important to bringing these people down before they do any more big damage." Haji nodded his ascent.

On the way out, he said, "Visigard." And paused. "That was the last name of the girl and her father… the CEO."

A new chapter, a new beginning. They decided that they were going to fight for the future that they now had before them. Although she still had a lot of questions, she didn't know how much she wanted to know. She would get them for using her Chevalier's blood for their twisted experiments and kill them once and for all…

End of the REVISED part two! Hooray! Thanks to the six who reviewed! That's a lot, and it makes me feel loved. So keep reviewing so that I might get this one up to the point where my other story is! I hope you liked it. I'll try to keep it moving. Until then…

Michiyo Ichimaru


	3. The Girl, The Monster, The Wish

The Crying Planet

A Blood+ Sequel

By Michiyo Ichimaru

A/N: I don't own Blood+. Blood+ belongs to various people including, but not limited to Aniplex, since I really don't know who all owns it. I am not making money of any sort, because it's really just about fun, and of course, to show what I think. So, I hope you enjoy it and will take the time to leave a review for me! hint, hint Thanks for the seven that I've already gotten! Keep leaving them! Love, all.

Chapter Three: The Girl, The Monster, The Wish

The two of them had been walking around town for a long time. Okinawa was a huge place with a small town atmosphere. Looking at it from her prospective, Haji could see why she had been so happy here. Sunshine, family, friends… it all seemed to be here. Everyone greeted Saya and some even waved kindly to him. There was no other place in the world like this. It smelled of everything and everything at once, and yet, it wasn't putrid. It truly was a mixed culture.

In that single morning, there had been a few really strange incidents, but none of them had been caused by the creatures that attacked Saya's grave. Coincidences? Probably not. Yet, their first priority was to find the horrible creature that was doing all this. And until they did that, no one was safe, so they had to overlook these attacks until their mission was complete. "I'm worried…" Saya mumbled softly, looking at the ground. "If they did all that… what kind of damage could they cause on a large scale…?"

Pulling her aside, Haji frowned. "Fight, then." He said, giving her the same sword as before, with the same red shield placed upon the hilt. In the sun, it gleamed and she was drawn in by the sight. Nodding, she held the sword, cradled in her arms. "It's close." He said, shifting. "I sense it." Saya listened, making her body completely still and wondered how he could possibly know. But she didn't see any monsters, only a young girl running through the streets. She looked terribly tired and dirty.

"Miss, what's wrong?!" Saya shouted. The girl heard her voice and became startled, tripping over a slight raised stone. Saya ran to catch her, but Haji pulled her back and went himself. "…Haji." Saya whimpered, wondering what he was thinking again. The girl got up quite quickly, as if she was being burnt. "Are you alright?" Saya asked, taking a tiny step. However, the girl seemed to be completely unaware of her presence.

Bowing her head, the girl fought back tears. "You…"

Haji didn't seem bothered by the girl's sudden outburst. It only seemed random to Saya. "Was it you?" he asked softly. "Did you cause all those problems back there?" She shook her head, but she looked forlorn anyway. Taking that as a sufficient answer, Haji stepped away and beckoned Saya to his side. Happy to return to him, Saya got a better look at the girl. She had red eyes that were only dulled by her tears and tattered and ruined clothes.

"The CEO's daughter… Hailey Visigard." Haji said softly, extending his hand to motion at the girl before him. She looked no older than Lulu did, and it seemed so despicable. Saya remembered what Haji had told them. She should have known. After all, Haji had been protecting her all along. "Don't put your guard down… she is infected. I assume that she just hasn't taken the treatment since. You're more dangerous that way. Why did you come here?" he asked. There was a warm hint in his voice, even if he didn't seem to be protecting her.

Hailey seemed to jump to life with a smile on her face. With her blond hair, she looked almost like a regular girl. "Dad is up to something terrible, I know that… even worse than what he's already done. I wanted you to know… to do something good with my life. You were wrong. I never could have refused. But that doesn't mean that I still can't do the right thing!" she said, smiling sadly. "You were the first person that I was allowed to talk to in a long time. Dad was always experimenting…"

Finally she seemed to notice that Saya was there and smiled widely. "Is that her?!" Hailey asked excitedly. "You're Saya… the one he obeys. My father and I had only ever met one other Chevalier before, and that was the blonde man! He was terribly charming, if you like that kind of thing. But he was dead before Daddy started his experiment, I think. That's why we chose Haji, of course. I'd rather have used him though. Either way though, it wasn't fair."

She frowned. "I can still feel it… buried deep inside of me. Moments like these, I know that I can't hide the truth. My father has made me into a monster meant to do terrible things. But more than anything else, I don't want to hurt anyone. So I wanted to help you. Father told you his name freely because that's not the name that you'll see when you look up the building's CEO. With that information, he knew that the Red Shield wouldn't be able to find his headquarters. It's under his predecessor's name and he never changed it."

"Without that, you'd never be able to find him. So what I wanted, more than anything, was to tell you the information that you needed so that you might be able to find father and save him from this stupid-ness. I was hoping that you might be able to stop him and save a lot of people. And when I realized that I could help… it made me so happy."

Pulling out a small slip of paper, she scribbled down a name and thrust it in to Saya's hand. "Here. Take it. Don't show it to anyone else until you are safe. There are three other monsters currently in this town. I suspect you saw all the news and heard all the whispers. Since they came, a lot of terrible things have happened. Even worse, they get covered up as ACCIDENTS! I'll show you where they are…" she said, grabbing both of their hands.

Saya smiled. "Thank you. You are a good person." Hailey's eyes widened and she smiled. A group of dark clouds were beginning to gather in the western sky, but the sun was still fighting through. It was still warm and bright. "There will always be hope, as long as the sun shines down and lights the path for us." Saya said, looking up at the sky dreamily, with half lidded eyes. Hailey followed her eyes towards the sky and nodded. "Nankuranaisa." She added, looking at Hailey who looked confused, as Saya expected.

"Live today and smile tomorrow. If you live life to the fullest, looking forward to tomorrow, things will work out." Saya said, smiling. "That is what it means. My father always told me that, but since then… I've had to learn for myself what it means to me. Really, I think it means something different for each person. For me, it meant that it was okay to live for tomorrow and that I could go on without hurting anyone anymore, and live the life that I wanted to."

Hailey smiled, and looked at the sun. "Is it really okay? Can a monster like me really go on living without hurting anyone? I'd like to believe it. Well, Saya… if you believe it… then I will too!" she said, hugging Saya. "You're different too, like me. The other kids always laughed at me because they knew I was different. I couldn't act normal. I knew what I was… but around you and Haji, I don't feel like the person they enjoyed making fun of me all the time. Can I be part of your family?"

Ruffling her hair, Saya smiled. "Of course you can come live with us." She said. "I was able to overcome it because of all the people who loved me and took care of me, and so could you. Right, Haji?" Looking at Hailey's pleading face, Haji nodded and showed the hints of a smile tugging at his lips. "Things will be alright. Just show us where those other Chiroptera are hiding so we can send them back home and then we can do the same."

In the distance, they heard a loud crash and then a low crunch. "They're close." Haji said, grabbing his dagger and preparing to attack if anything come too close to hurting either one of them. Hailey cringed and pointed to her right, down a small alley that led to a pair of make-shift stairs. Once they climbed them, they ended up on the roof of one of many buildings all in a row. Jumping three buildings, they reached a huge hole in the ceiling of the fourth building.

Saya and Haji jumped down together first and Hailey followed when they gave her the okay. Although Hailey had powers, she wasn't sure yet that she could just change whenever she wanted to, even if she really wanted to. It gave her a feeling of helplessness. She couldn't do anything to help them fight these Chiroptera. But she really believed in what Saya said, and would do anything else that she could to help them.

"Over there!" Hailey whispered, pointing to the left. Three Chiroptera were gathered together, looking rather vicious in their full demon forms. Saya pulled out her sword and used her thumb, cutting through and watching the blood slide through the blade until it was completely coated. Haji guarded Hailey, placing his body in front of her, but his eyes were watching Saya completely. "Be careful." Hailey said to Saya, wringing her shirt in her hands.

"Don't worry about me." Saya said, giving it a practice swing. "Haji, please protect her." Taking on one or even two might have been okay, but three? Immediately she noticed the difference between these and the Chiroptera she was used to fighting. One of them grabbed her by the wrists and threw her clear across the room. Practically bouncing off the wall, she came back charging. Hailey watched in fear as Saya fought to no avail.

Then a searing pain ripped through her chest, and she fell to her knees, clutching her chest in pain. Seeing her suddenly drop, Haji kneeled down next to her, holding her loosely to his chest. Her breathing had become incredibly forced and sounded raspy. "I… can't fight it much longer." Hailey gasped, looking up at Haji with fear in her eyes. Tears began to slowly gather in the corner of her eyes. "It hurts… so much." She cried, touching the place where her heart was beating. It was a fast, unnatural rhythm that frightened Haji.

Although he would never let her hurt Saya, he didn't want to hurt her either. It was never her fault. "I never wanted this… only… wanted to make father happy. He said that… once his work was done and he had successfully created an all-powerful Chiropteran army… that we could go back to our old life… the way things… used to be." She was coughing, but it wasn't dry… there was blood coating the ground in front of her. Seeing it, she gasped and closed her eyes, allowing the tears to overflow.

"I know… it would be nice to… be able to live." Hailey smiled grimly. "If only I could… without hurting anyone. But it's too late for wishes that don't come true. Now all I want… is to rest in peace… if I can do that without hurting people. I can… if I fall before I kill… anyone." She said, looking up and touching Haji's face. "Promise me that… you'll kill me when this is over." De ja vu never hurt this badly before, Haji decided, watching the changes take place in her. Two wings grew and her skin became hard and armored. But her heart had not crossed over yet.

Saya was also in trouble. All three of the Chiroptera had decided to gang up on her, and back her into a corner. Wiping the blood from her face, she took up her sword once more and tried to clear her mind so that she might get out of this alive. Hailey leaped into the air and took the hit for Saya, landing between her and the enhanced Chiroptera. And with one slash, she ripped their heads from their bodies. Saya wasted no time finishing them off, but she was drained.

With all the strength she had left, she crawled back over to Hailey's side. She had reverted back to her human form, but her wounds weren't healing, and the girl was fading fast. "Why?" Saya asked, wiping away a stray tear. "I thought we decided that we would fight together until we found our happy ending?" Hailey smiled, and looked up at the sky, seeing through the hole in the ceiling to the sky above.

"Because I wanted you to live… this way, I can still be happy. Tomorrow, I really will be in a happier place. Even there… I can still wait for my happier day to arrive. Remember this… the name that you're looking for is Armand Zuni. You have to stop him… he's been forcing my father into this. I'm sure he could help you. But don't let them kill my father… please… protect him… I know it's horrible to ask, after the trouble he must have caused you with his experiments, but… please…"

Haji came to her and placed his clawed hand over her largest wound. "Keep our promise?" Hailey asked, looking at his eyes, and realizing that there was no uncertainty there. "I knew you would. Thank you. I hope that you will get your wish, as you will give me mine. You deserve it, you know… for being my friend… and being there for me in the end."

Pushing his claw through her chest, he took hold of her heart, and punctured it. As the blood seeped out, along with her last ounces of life, he remembered the song that Kai had sung for the girls, and sang for her, with no time to get his cello and play.

_Father isn't here now… Who knows what he'd say?_

_Nothing's quite so clear now… Feel you've lost your way?_

_You are not alone, believe me… No one is alone._

_You move just a finger… Say the slightest word…_

_Something's bound to linger… Be heard._

_No one acts alone, careful… No one is alone._

_People make mistakes… Fathers, Mothers… People make mistakes_

_Holding to their own… Thinking their alone._

_Honor their mistakes… Fight for their mistakes, everybody makes_

_One another's_

_Terrible mistakes_

_Witches can be right, Giants can be good_

_You decide what's right, you decide what's good_

_Just remember… Someone is on your side… Our side_

_Someone else is not_

_While we're seeing our side… Maybe we forgot_

_They are not alone… No one is alone_

_Hard to see the light now… Just don't let it go_

_Things will come out right now… We can make it so._

_Someone is on your side…_

Feeling that she had passed, he took her into his arms. "Is there someplace we can lay her to rest?" he asked softly, waiting for Saya to get back to her feet. Nodding, she trudged along, leading the way to the family shrine. In the area outside the huge grave, he dug a grave for her and put her in. Saya helped him put the dirt over her and put some flowers over it. "It doesn't matter where she rests. She got her wish. She will be happy… so don't blame yourself. Never hate yourself."

"I promise." Saya smiled, wiping her eyes. "There was nothing we could do. Still… I need to be stronger if I want to be able to fight these creatures. After all… they did use your blood. It's obvious, you know." She smiled. "They're really strong, just like you." Haji didn't know what to say. He wasn't very talkative, and he had to admit that he was already talking more than he normally felt comfortable. But he wasn't uncomfortable with her. It was like he was already starting to fit into her family.

Or, at least, he hoped that he was. And he remembered what Mao said and frowned. Now wasn't the time for such wants… there were more important things he should be worrying about.

"We should hurry back and tell David and the others what we found out. Maybe they have some good news as well. I really hope so. I could use some good news right now." Saya said, smiling optimistically and holding out her hand to Haji before she really thought about it. Blushing, she realized she probably shouldn't have done something so thoughtlessly, but he took it, and allowed her to lead him back to her home, holding her hand. "Thank you." She muttered.

_I want to live with Kai, Haji, and everyone else…_

This was what she wanted, right? It made him wonder if they truly wanted the same thing. Having said it a long time ago, he wondered if she forgot and was just being her normal self. It was so selfish of him to ask for her love if it was only a petty wish of his. But, walking into the house with her holding his hand as she yelled, "We're back!" he realized that he felt at home here, and that maybe he should just keep fighting for it.

He wouldn't force it… just… not let go. Fight… for that wish, and keep going until that happier day arrived…

And he would never forget the people who fought beside them. Hailey… if what she said was true, maybe it was okay to want something. If so, then it would just be a bit longer, until the right time came. With a new piece of the puzzle, the group stumbles forward towards that better day come.

There ya go. Another chapter down. Please review and enjoy. Thanks to all those who have already, and I hope that you'll give me more! Thanks for the love.

Michiyo Ichimaru


	4. Blood Ties, Ties That Bind?

The Crying Planet

A Blood+ Sequel

By Michiyo Ichimaru

A/N: I don't own Blood+. Blood+ belongs to various people including, but not limited to Aniplex, since I really don't know who all owns it. I am not making money of any sort, because it's really just about fun, and of course, to show what I think. So, I hope you enjoy it and will take the time to leave a review for me! hint, hint Thanks for the seven that I've already gotten! Keep leaving them! Love, all.

Chapter Four: Blood Ties - Ties That Blind

"Armand Zuni, huh?" Louis said, scratching his head. "I know the name isn't in any of our databases. Something like THAT I would remember." Julia was still searching, but it didn't look good. "Do you think they caught on to us and killed the trail before we could sniff them out? And you have to consider the possibility that the girl might have lied. I mean, it was her father, after all." Saya, who had been pacing in front of the window, stopped abruptly. She didn't look at him, but instead turned and looked out the window into the distance. Haji watched her reaction carefully.

It must have still bothered her that Hailey had died, because she looked deeply troubled. "No. She willingly gave her life. Hailey asked us to SAVE her father. I know that she did not lie." Saya said, sitting on the windowsill. When Haji was sure that she was okay, he decided to do some investigating of her own. He would have liked to just get up and leave, but he knew that was not an option. As soon as he moved from his spot against the wall, Saya's eyes were on his, questioning and searching for answers at the same time. He should have known that she wouldn't trust him after what he had done.

Placing a comforting hand on her face, he pulled her towards him and became her pillow for a while. After he was sure that she felt secure in some sense, he leaned down and looked into her eyes. "I'm going to search too." Saya instantly became alert. But this was different. It wasn't her saying that she didn't trust him. He could see in her eyes that she trusted him. He wouldn't have gone if he sensed her beginning to distrust him. However, he didn't know what this look was saying, either. Of course, he was sure that he had seen it before. There were few faces of hers that he hadn't seen before.

"Let me come with you." It wasn't a question, although he could tell that she was uncertain. There was no question that she wanted to come with him. What she wasn't sure of was if he would allow it. Already there were changes. She knew that he might now say no to her wishes if it meant protecting her. Saya also knew that he wasn't afraid to sacrifice himself, even if he had to sacrifice her wishes. In any circumstance, she would trust him with her life, and the lives of all her friends. But she could not find the strength of heart to trust him with his own life.

Haji had to think about this. Sure, he could say no. It was really hard for him, after so many years of faithful obedience. Really, all he wanted was to see her happy and right now, he wasn't sure exactly what he should do in order to give her a happy future. Plus it didn't help that she had a really cute begging face that she decided she'd try to use against him. "Stay with me." He said, giving in and allowing her to follow him. That was all she really wanted anyway… to stay with him. She felt bad for being so clingy, but she was still scared. After watching him being swallowed up the stone wall collapsing, she had felt so alone.

And it was easier for her to cling to him than to tell him what she really wanted. Every time she thought about telling him, she'd always find more reasons to avoid it. He hadn't brought it up either. At first, she was afraid that it would make things uncomfortable between them. But then she realized that he had been hiding it so long. Things just went on as they had before she'd known about his feelings. She wondered if he thought she was rejecting him. But things were so nice between them now, that she didn't think of it again. This was just how it would be until she could say those words.

Walking down the streets, she realized how cold it had become. A lot of people had also noticed and gone inside to be with their families. Saya wished that she could do that. Instead, she still had duties… she was still fighting for the chance to do just that. Their first stop was the news cart. There was always a TV. turned on to the local news as well as a fresh stack of papers to be purchased. And the man who ran the shop knew almost all the latest local news. "Hello, Mr. Yami!" Saya greeted warmly. "Any new news on the monsters that have been causing all this trouble lately?"

Mr. Yami looked around nervously and motioned her to come closer. "Only a little." He whispered. "Mrs. Jenkins came for the paper just a little over an hour ago and said that she thought she saw something strange going on in the long alleyway by her house. She hurried here to see if anything had been figured out official. Says she's afraid to walk past that alleyway. Been locking herself in her house ever since word of the first monster." Haji and Saya exchanged glances. "If you young ones are interested in it, her house is down that road. But I don't think you should be snooping around on this case."

"It's okay. Thank you so very much, Mr. Yami." Saya said, taking the road to the west that Mr. Yami had pointed out as the road to Mrs. Jenkin's house. "I wonder how intelligent they are… do you think they could tell us anything?" Saya asked, kicking a stone on the street as she walked. From the results of Julia's tests, these creatures were excellent fighters. But she hadn't been able to say anything about their intelligence levels as far as speech, knowledge, or common sense was concerned. At this point, the only thing that they could do was to speculate based on what they had already seen and what they knew, which wasn't much.

Haji heard something, and frowned. "They didn't seem too intelligent when they came to find you. All they managed to do was start scratching at the door to the grave. But when Kai and I showed up, they seemed to have been taught the strategy of battle and been trained in it fairly well." Saya heard it too and took a step back towards Haji. While it was fairly quiet, they were moving a lot. There was the sound of scratching along the walls and on the ground. "Stay close." He said, taking out his daggers and handing her sword to her. Coating the length with blood, she tried to steady her heart beat and her trembling body.

Remembering her last battle with them, she remembered that there was nothing she had been able to do. What if she got Haji hurt now because she wasn't strong enough to fight them like last time? Sensing her worry and discomfort, Haji leaned his back against hers, a soft gesture. "Saya… fight." He said softly. Four Chiroptera came out from the shadows, as if they could sense the sudden change in Saya, and were drawn to the adrenaline in her blood. Breaking apart, the two of them separated to attack them in pairs. At first, Saya's luck was the same. They were too fast and stealthy for her to actually hit them.

For a second, she contemplated looking to see how Haji was faring and to make sure that he was okay… but she knew better than to draw her eyes away from the Chiroptera. Finally, she saw something she hadn't before, and noticed a weak spot. All over their bodies there was this hard leather-like skin that acted as impenetrable armor. But there was an open spot on their necks. It was a strange little hole, but then she realized, with growing horror what it was for. "The drug… no needle could pierce the armor, so a place was left open to inject it with all the drugs they required to maintain it.

"Haji! The neck!" She shouted, crouching and doing an upper thrust with her sword, prepared to pierce its neck. But it was still too fast, and only let her take a small amount of blood from the neck, but it still cried out in pain. Other than the shots it was given, this was probably the first time it's had to feel pain like this. Hearing its horrified cry, and seeing the blood, Saya's stomach lurched. This was a feeling unlike any before. Her eyes hated to see, but it couldn't look away from the small droplets that had spattered on her skin. Unable to hold back, she tasted it, and her stomach tumbled again.

It tasted just like his… like only his could. Although it seemed like some sort of trick of the mind, she knew that taste. Realizing more than she wanted to know, she doubled over in pain. "I can't…" She sobbed. "I just can't." Haji, having hit both of the Chiroptera and killed them, ran to her side, worried that they had hurt her. But she had no wounds nor could he see and blood coming from her. Only tears left her body. "I can't do it." She said, looking up at him pathetically. Even though she knew what these things do and having seen all the trouble they caused, Saya couldn't get rid of the taste in her mouth.

Worried that the Chiroptera would start attacking again, he picked her up in his arms and jumped to the top of a nearby roof. "Saya." She couldn't tell what he wanted. It wasn't a question, but it wasn't a statement. Did he say her name just to say her name? "What's wrong?" he asked, sitting on the roof with her, letting her head rest on his lap. Slowly, her breathing returned to normal, and she wiped the blood away from her arm violently. For a long time, she couldn't find her voice. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She didn't even know what to say.

But she knew what she really wanted to ask, deep down inside. "How much blood did they take from you?" she asked in a small voice that didn't have enough strength to speak any louder. It didn't help that she was afraid. She didn't even realize how frightened she was yet. Haji looked away for a moment, contemplating his reply. He knew something must have brought it on. It may have just been the sight of the blood, but from the severity of the look on her face, he was certain there was something more. Either way, he wanted to tell her, but he wasn't sure he could without making her hurt more.

Yet, she asked, and he couldn't lie. Eventually she'd know… she'd have to find out sooner or later. "Because I am your Chevalier, I will not die unless all my blood is sucked dry. My blood replaces itself at a much higher rate than your average human. They attached me to a machine that monitored my blood level, and continued to take it from me at a steady rate the entire time I was there. But they never let me get too close to being dry, however, that was almost five years of blood drainage. I have no idea how many of these things could have been created by implanting my blood."

Saya shook her head, wiping away a tear. Looking straight up into his eyes, she said, "It's not how many… I'm not sure either; however, I don't think it could be many. These creatures… they are living ENTIRELY off of your blood." Haji's eyes widened considerably, now fully aware of what was bothering her. "I…" she stuttered, more tears wetting her eyes. "I just… couldn't… I mean… it's like…" Her voice was thick with worry and if she didn't stop crying, she'd soon need more than just one tissue. Wiping away her tears with his bandaged hand, he held her hand with his other one.

"Those things are not me. My blood may not mix with these other things, but there ARE other things in that creature. If they were anything like me, they wouldn't be trying to hurt you. Better than anything, you should know how little blood ties people together. Your family is not tied by blood… but by love. Don't forget that. Being bound by blood means very little until you make it mean something through love and care. Even if I am bound by blood to these creatures doesn't mean that I feel any sort of obligation to allow them to live. I will always choose the ties that I have created over the blood ties that have been made by destiny."

Looking down at the ground and the creatures below, Saya sniffled and her smile returned. "Funny how easy it is to forget important things like that when it matters the most. I'm sorry. These are things I should have seen… should have known… You were always there for me, always holding me up. I should have known…" she smiled even brighter, squeezing his hand. "You're part of my family, not theirs." Haji stood up, helping her to her feet. This was the smile he wanted to give her. Maybe it wasn't impossible for him to give her that happiness. Hearing her say that she considered him to be part of her family made him feel very warm inside… he felt… loved.

Still holding her in his arms, he leapt back down to the ground before he let go. Retrieving her sword, Saya didn't wait for anything. She attacked again with all her might, catching the first one off guard and hitting the weak spot perfectly. Throwing the Chiroptera a good distance, she used it to knock the other down. Before the second Chiroptera could get back up, she leapt into the air and dropped down with all her weight onto its neck. "Leave us alone." She said, pulling the sword out and letting the blood splatter all across the ground before her feet.

But she wasn't prepared for what came next. "Curse… you… Solomon." Stumbling backward, Saya was aware of two things… the monster had SPOKEN and it used the name Solomon. It could have been any Solomon. And she wanted it to be any Solomon but THAT Solomon. Haji saw that it aggravated her, and threw a dagger into it's neck, silencing it. Saya turned to Haji and ran into his arms, searching for something. Whatever it was, she found it in the comfort of his arms, and found the courage to ask more questions that she was scared to know the answers to.

"Did… did you ever SEE Solomon there? Do you think he's really alive?" Saya asked in a small trembling voice. Haji had only ever seen the Visigards… never left that room. But he knew that it was more than possible… more than likely…

"I did not." He said, truthfully. "But… I saw the other blonde Chevalier of Diva's on the news. He appeared to be acting as a reporter, however, I am sure that it was him. The same one that asked you to kill him. I am not sure the answer, but… we must be prepared for anything that comes our way. Either way… I will be fighting beside you, as I always will." Saya accepted this, knowing very well that she may have to come face to face with that man again. "But why would he send monsters to find you and then kill you? If Solomon really does lo-" Saya cut him off with a swift finger pressed against his lips.

"No." Was all she said. It was all that she would say. There were a lot of things that she would like to say, but there was still a lot of things that she needed answers to… things she needed to do first. "We're going to go back home. We'll investigate Solomon and keep looking for Armand Zuni. And we can tell the others what we've learned. But…" sensing her discomfort, Haji knew better than to continue the conversation. It wasn't for certain yet. Even if things continued to get weirder and weirder, they'd keep going.

When they got back, no one was there. Saya ran around the entire house, inside and out, shouting for them. On the table, Haji saw a small note and picked it up. He didn't dare read it. Instead, he handed it to Saya, who quickly read it to herself. "They've found him!" She shouted happily, letting Haji see it. Attached were a few printed pages about the man in question. No wonder it had been so difficult to find him. The man was old and already picked out his successor. His successor's name was already being put on everything, or so the article said.

Frowning, Haji read part of it aloud. "Zuni praises his successor, a young face that has all the experience needed to succeed. He's brought a company up from the depths and has the charm and power to move this company where it needs to go. Solomon Goldsmith will be taking over Zuni's laboratory work next month, and the company is his after Armand Zuni's death. Until then, Goldsmith says, "It's important to prepare everyone and everything for the transition before the time comes. Change can be good, but only if you make it work to your benefit." He seems confident, and Zuni says that's just what he likes about the man."

"I was so sure he must have died." Saya said, wringing her hands.

"What do you want to do now?" Haji asked calmly, wondering what was going on in her mind.

Having made up her mind, Saya grabbed Haji's hand. "We have to meet up with the others! Perhaps we can get Solomon before he comes to power, and then… when Zuni dies, the company will fall to pieces, without a leader! Maybe then we can stop it without having to recklessly kill everyone and everything there. If we can do that… well, I'd be happy." Saya said.

Giving her a smile, Haji nodded. "Very well. It sounds like a good plan." Happy to hear that Haji agreed with her, Saya leaned in and hugged him on impulse. With his human hand, he gently returned her gesture. "We should hurry. If Solomon has attacked you, than I wouldn't like to think of what he'd do to your friends and family." Saya nodded, letting him go. Hoisting his cello up onto his back once more, they began walking… towards the rendezvous point.

woo-hoo! Still goin' strong, guys! Sorry it took longer than I'd have liked. It is a lot to write, and I really had to fight with myself when deciding whether or not to bring Solomon back. I personally don't like him, but I mean… he's not completely bad. Well, we'll see what I choose to do about him, later. Please review.


	5. The Man Who Loves You

The Crying Planet

A Blood+ Sequel

By Michiyo Ichimaru

A/N: I don't own Blood+. Blood+ belongs to various people including, but not limited to Aniplex, since I really don't know who all owns it. I am not making money of any sort, because it's really just about fun, and of course, to show what I think. So, I hope you enjoy it and will take the time to leave a review for me! hint, hint Thanks for the ones that I've already gotten! Keep leaving them! Love, all.

Chapter Five: The Man Who Loves You

Kai tapped his foot impatiently. "What's taking those two so long? They should be here by now!" He had been paired up with Mao and Okamura for another one of David's crazy plans. The so-called 'Zuni' was living in a hotel currently, although he had his own home. There was talk that he was counseling his soon-to-be successor on all the dos and don'ts of the business. If that was the case, Kai thought, why not take them both down with one shot. 'This is going much easier than I thought it would.' He thought it would be so complex after hearing Louis explain that this man wasn't really Zuni, but that Zuni had already died. Visigard was just… using his identity.

And it was Visigard that would be choosing Zuni's successor. Kai hardly knew or cared. The only thing that mattered to him was that there were two men up there who were doing bad things that would affect his family, especially Saya and Haji. Never in a million years, would he let those jerks lay a hand on Saya or her happiness. Mao and Okamura left with Louis, and Kai was left alone for a while. He wasn't sure how much time passed, but then Lulu came to him, landing next to him. "It's starting. David and Julia have already begun. There's no sight of Saa-chan or Haa-san. But you and I are supposed to go in as planned."

Taking up his father's gun, Kai nodded. "Alright. Wait here. I'm going to scout the area ahead of time, before we have to go in." Lulu reached up to stop him, but he was already gone, leaping over the bush they had been using as a barrier. 'He wouldn't do anything rash, would he?' she asked herself, peeking over the bush with her small eyes darting about after his retreating form. 'Oh please hurry, Saya… Haji… I don't know that we can do it without you…' she said, taking out her weapon and waiting for the signal.

"Do you think it was okay for us to hold that kind of information from Kai?" Julia asked, hacking into the computer on the bottom floor lobby of the hotel where Visigard was staying. David had used a special stun gun to disarm the guards and other workers. From the center of the lobby, he continued to look for any other workers that might have slipped past him, security devices, or any sign of Visigard and his 'guest' trying to escape. Hearing the obviously irritated Julia, David put away his gun, happily aware that no one else was choosing to interfere with their plans.

Looking over her shoulder, he smiled at her progress and sighed. "You know that boy. If we told him that Solomon was the man Visigard was going to meet, who knows what might have happened. He's too rash, and we can't risk him doing something stupid and alerting our targets. However, I am worried that he might act rashly regardless. If he does decide to attack, thinking that these are just two helpless humans, Solomon might rip him to shreds in minutes. However, I don't think that Solomon would kill Kai, even if he slipped into his hands."

"You aren't saying that you think he would…"

Sighing, Julia knew he was right, and that she had lost. She knew that the chances of Kai jumping in ahead of time anyway were far too great for her liking anyway. Until then, though, the only thing she could do was to hurry and unlock the employee door for Lulu and Kai, so that they could enter the building. Hopefully by that time, Saya and Haji would be there. That was the best case scenario. There were a lot of uglier scenarios that could happen starting from here. Pushing that out of her mind, she continued typing as fast as she could. If she let her emotions get the best of her now, there was no way that she would be able to get this done in time to stop Visigard and Solomon.

Lulu frowned, looking for Kai once more. He hadn't returned yet, and she was starting to get worried. 'What if he went ahead? Oh no…! I just have to believe…' Suddenly, she felt the wind shift, and she was surrounded on both sides. "Saya? Haji? You came! Kai disappeared and I haven't heard from him since. Julia and David don't know yet, and Kai doesn't know that Solomon is up there!" Lulu said. "Please go help him. I know Solomon is strong, but you could take him down!" Saya unsheathed her sword and coated it with her blood. Watching the blood stream down, her eyes glowed bright red and she felt her anger rising.

"I won't let him hurt Kai or anyone else. Haji, let's go." She said, leaping over the bush and taking off in the same direction towards the only door. The lock had been burst open, and there were two bullet holes in the wall. Biting her lip, Saya opened the door. "He really broke through. Kai went after them… why didn't David or Julia tell him about Solomon!?" Saya shouted, shivering fearfully. "We have to hurry. Help me save him, Haji. I don't want him to get hurt. This is supposed to end peacefully. We're supposed to get the chance to live happily afterwards…"

Haji felt nauseous. But he knew that his first desire was to help her. "He's not inside anymore. Up there…" He said, feeling anxious. Saya quickly glanced towards the roof. Her perception was not as good as his, but she could see a small shadow moving in the moonlight. The shadow had an awkward shape, and it bothered her. Wrapping his arm securely around her waist, he jumped up. He had to make use of a few window ledges before he could finally make it to the roof. Letting go of Saya was hardest now than it had ever been before.

Solomon stood on the opposite ledge, with Kai in his arms. Still he looked like some hero, saving a boy from certain death, rather than the man who kidnapped him. "I thought you would have come quicker." He said softly, taking two steps towards Saya. "I missed you, Saya." Solomon smiled warmly. "I was afraid that I might die without ever getting the chance to win the title I so long for. I want to be the one and ONLY man who loves you, and the only one you love in return."

Bringing her sword up to the ready position, Saya allowed fresh blood to coat the sword. "You don't even know me. The times you saw me, you must have pictured me as some pampered up princess who enjoys dancing and going to parties where people do nothing but gossip. If you saw the real me, you'd probably cringe. What do you REALLY know about me? You don't even know how to respect the people I love… my family… my friends… you continue to hurt them again and again. And you don't understand. I pity you."

"To never have known a REAL family… must have been pretty lonely." She said, walking closer with each step. Solomon's guard came down for a second. His eyes went wide and he stumbled back a little bit as he came to terms with what she said. He hardly seemed to notice that she was getting closer, or the heavy weight in his arms. No one had ever used those words on him before and he wasn't quite sure how to manage. It couldn't be true by any stretch of the imagination, he told himself. At the same time, though, he questioned.

Solomon stuttered, "You p-pity m-me?" then, he started to laugh. "I have always had the best of everything thanks to my brothers. Whatever I wanted was right there in my grasp, as long as I promised to protect Diva with all that I had. And now that all that is gone, I have to live on the reputation I've made. I still have the best of everything. They built a true paradise for me. I'm just sorry that we couldn't all have agreed on something. However, when I want something, I'm used to getting it."

"The things you treasure are not the treasures I'm talking about. I live in a house that doubles as a restaurant. I'm always running around in dirty clothes with food stains from when I cook. And when I'm not there, I'm at the school, which I have to run to every morning. There, I'm always wearing either that tacky uniform or a pair of shorts and a sweaty t-shirt which I should have taken home to get cleaned two weeks ago. Saya is a silly, care-free girl who usually doesn't care what she looks like, but enjoys doing all sorts of fun things. And I'm happy with that life."

"I used to have a life like yours, living with Joel. Looking back now, I know that I was so disgusting. Even the people that I loved I trampled all over. If it wasn't just what I wanted, you'd do it again. I never could have loved anyone but myself like that. There was no one I would die for, except perhaps for Joel, as my father… but even then… it was so easy to let go and ask someone else to put their life on the line." Saya looked at herself in the reflection of her sword.

"But now… when I look at myself, I know that I've changed. There are a lot of people I would die to protect. So many people are precious to me. First I had to see myself for what I really was. Not just a Chiroptera, although that was part of it. I also needed to see all those petty flaws and make that decision for myself. So for a while, I distanced myself. Then I went to sleep and…. Vietnam. When I woke, I remembered nothing. Yet I'm really lucky. This is the person that I wanted myself to become. I wonder what did it…"

Pointing her sword at Solomon, her stance changed. "You are not the man who loves me. I can not love you… I do not." Saya charged at him, aiming for his chest. She expected him to fight back… to argue. But he just stood there. At the last second, he moved beside her blade, pushed it away and pulled her into his arms, dropping Kai. Haji quickly grabbed Kai up into his arms. It was what Saya would have wanted. Jumping from the roof, he jumped down to the ground, returning to the entrance where they had entered. Lulu was waiting, still hidden behind the bush.

When she saw Kai, her small eyes widened, and she jumped up to take care of him. "Oh, Haa-san! You saved him… what about Saya-Chan? Is she gonna be okay?" Haji looked up at the roof uncertainly, ignoring Lulu's question, and fought his way back up to the roof. _Should I fight? Isn't it her choice? Aren't I just being selfish? Isn't it alright for her to choose him? Any sensible girl would… but Saya is not what I'd call sensible. What would she want me to do? _When he got back, they were in the same position, and he could only hear whispers.

"_**I was so afraid that you might leave me. That… if I let you go, you would find someone else and that you might leave me behind. So I was glad to have you bound to my side if it meant that I could spend eternity with you. I even let the people closest to me, and closest to the truth believe that was all you were. I never wanted them to see you as anything other than… mine…"**_

"_**But that was very selfish of me… because… I wanted to be everything to you… But I just locked away all your words and turned you into a person with no wishes or wants except for mine. I am so ashamed… But when I heard you laugh today, I thought maybe… just maybe… that I wasn't wrong. I thought maybe…"**_

_It really is all I've ever wanted_

"Saya." Haji said clearly, holding out his right hand to her. Saya turned to look at Haji and then spun to look at Solomon again, who just smiled sadly and pushed her towards him. At first she was shocked that he was just going to let her go. And it looked like he really was trying to smile the best he could. With renewed happiness, she gave him a quick hug and a kiss on the check.

With the same sad smile printed on his features, Solomon said, "I shall always love the maiden who ran away."

Releasing him, Saya said, "And I am forever grateful to you." Solomon, stepped off the roof and fell about a foot before he transformed and flew off, beating his wings slowly but powerfully until he was completely out of sight.

Turning away from the sight, Saya ran to Haji. Instead of taking his hand, she full out plowed into him, throwing her arms around his neck and allowing herself to be spun about gracefully. Stepping back to look at her, Haji smiled. When he saw the hair falling in front of her face, threatening to block her sight, he chuckled.

"We still haven't gotten around to taking care of that hair." He said softly, pushing it behind her ear and out of her eyes. Saya grinned sheepishly.

"Will you do it for me when we get back?"

"Sure." Haji agreed without argument. After all, he had already agreed to do it. "What do you think happened to Visigard?" Saya gasped, remembering why they had come in the first place and contemplated it for a second. She hadn't seen anyone else other than Kai and Solomon when they got here.

Taking his hand and tugging it gently, Saya urged Haji to follow her. "We can ask Kai when we get back home! I want to see him… and everyone must be really worried about us. Then we can all catch up once more." She said. Cradling her in his arms, Haji held her as he jumped back down to the ground, where Lulu and a newly conscious Kai were waiting for their return. Both ran over to them, demanding to know what happened. Kai was the more demanding of the two, but Lulu made up for it in curiosity.

Smiling, Saya nodded. "I'll tell you everything as soon as we get back home…"

Not the best, but I was REALLY busy lately. Sorry it took so long. And it's a bit shorter. Needed this as a transition to include more fluff later on. And don't worry… we haven't seen the last of Solomon. You heard him. He'll be back to help later on… as a GOOD guy! REVIEW please!


	6. Unravelling

The Crying Planet

A Blood+ Sequel

By Michiyo Ichimaru

A/N: I don't own Angela Aki's song "This Love" or the lyrics. I don't own Blood+. Blood+ belongs to various people including, but not limited to Aniplex, since I really don't know who all owns it. I am not making money of any sort, because it's really just about fun, and of course, to show what I think. So, I hope you enjoy it and will take the time to leave a review for me! hint, hint Thanks for the ones that I've already gotten! Keep leaving them! Love, all.

Chapter Six: Unraveling

When they finally returned home, a sense of peace returned. They all knew it was going to be short-lived, but they didn't want to focus on that. Saya told a captivated crowd all about the adventure on the roof and how Visigard mysteriously disappeared, never to be seen. Haji remained silent the entire time, but he looked positively livid. Visigard was the reason for a lot of suffering… his own, as well as Saya and the now dead Hailey's as well. It wasn't enough that he was turning their world upside down… Solomon had to show up too. Silence was the only way to keep his emotions in check. Although he didn't want to hear it, the two children did.

Both Ayame and Celis listened to Saya's story with rapt attention. They were still too young to understand everything, but they had heard Kai, David, Lewis, and Mao talk about Chiroptera before. And like any kid would be, they both drank it up with pure excitement. It was like an adventure… but it wasn't just a fairytale like the books Kai and Mao read to them. This was real and touchable. Afterwards, the grown-ups told them that they needed to talk privately and left the little girls to themselves, while they figured out a plan to take down Visigard before he found a way to strike at them first. "Auntie Saya is so cool!" Celis giggled, smiling at her sister.

"Yeah! I wish I could be just like her… I would take down all those Chiroptera in a second!" Ayame boasted, hoisting around an imaginary sword and slashing at her Chiropteran foes. Celis watched her and laughed as she took too fast a turn and feel flat on her butt. Lulu came in to check on them and saw Ayame on the floor laughing and smiled. These children were going to have a happy life because of Saya, Haji and the others. "Lulu, do you think I could be a hero someday?" Ayame asked, running to embrace her. Lulu picked her up and spun her in a circle with a genuine smile on her face. _'Heroes, huh?'_

Lulu sat down on the couch with Ayame in tow and motioned for Celis to come join them. Celis came bounding over enthusiastically and, with a little trouble, climbed up onto the couch next to Lulu. "Heroes are everywhere, children. Anyone can be a hero. For me, my life was pretty grim and hopeless not so many years ago. But another boy like me stood up against the doom and the gloom and we stuck to him like glue. We formed a group and broke out of our oppression. Yet, we had a terrible illness and we knew we were soon going to die if we didn't do something. It was Moses, the boy I just mentioned, who decided that we needed to find the cure at any cost."

Celis looked sad, but Ayame was just in awe with her mouth agape and unreadable. "These people don't always win, but you don't have to change the world to be a hero. You can start small, and change how people view the world. And it's just as valid as any other heroic act." Lulu smiled. "It's a selfless desire to help others and make life better for the people you love. And I think you two would make perfect heroes… because there are people who made those sacrifices for you, you should try to make a difference too. I know I am." Lulu said, ruffling both of the girl's heads, giving them both a mess of hair. "Now, you should go see Saya and Haa-san after the meeting. I know they would love to see you." She grinned.

"Okay!" They both chimed. "We have to get changed for bed first!" Celis said, bouncing. Together they ran up the stairs into their room and the door slammed behind them, leaving only the sound of their cute giggles to slide from beyond the doors.

Meanwhile, the others discussed the situation at hand. "Visigard is slippery." David growled. "I am so tired of chasing this bastard. What is he doing?" Julia was typing furiously on her laptop, and let him do all the talking while she searched for answers. "It seems Solomon had no intention of staying." He reported, looking at the latest information she pulled up. "He's already given up papers of resignation. My guess is that it was just a cover-up made by Visigard. Looks like Visigard just wanted someone to put in the spotlight while he conducted his dirty schemes in the laboratory. Solomon gave him that façade in order to look for Saya. But now that Saya's pushed him away, he wants no part in Visigard's planned assault."

Kai growled furiously. "Lucky bastard. It's bad enough that he had the guts to show his face to us again anyway after what he and his so-called 'brothers' did to us." Mao saw the saddened look on Saya's face and punched Kai lightly on the shoulder as a sign for him to shut up. "Uhhh… sorry." He said, looking at her distressed face. "Don't worry! He's out of the picture and now we can just focus on Visigard! You didn't want to hurt him anyway, and this way you won't have to." Kai said, knowing about how much it hurt her to continue to kill those with human traits and features. It still reminded her too much of killing creatures like herself and Haji…

"So Visigard's put himself out in the open now?" Saya asked, ignoring any statements made about Solomon. David shook his head sadly and Julia pulled up a different window and spun the computer screen to allow Saya and the others to see and read. It was the laboratory's homepage. Why they needed to use one, Saya wasn't sure she wanted to know, but she zoned in on what she did want to know. And it wasn't hard to see. Zuni's name was still on everything, and the top article bared the headline: "Looking for a new Leader With Solomon Gone". "Already taking applications?" Saya asked, raising an eyebrow curiously. "But I suppose it doesn't have to be someone special if it's all just a cover-up game." She sighed.

"Exactly!" Mao frowned. "It's a game to him, and he's using them all like puppets. Even his daughter had fallen in to believing that he was doing good, ruled by an evil man above him. But Zuni was dead long before then, and Visigard just continued to manipulate everyone around him. How disgusting…" she scoffed, sticking up her nose indignantly. "But don't you worry, Saya… we know who the real bad guy is and we're going to bring him down." Mao could be soothing when she wanted to. Okamura sighed. Why didn't she care about him that way? Or care about his feelings? She only liked making him mad and going against every order just to aggravate him. He needed a new partner.

But he couldn't say that he didn't like her spunky attitude and the way she fought for her friends. It was almost admirable enough to make him forget about all the rest. …almost being the key word.

She turned on her toes and grinned. "Get some rest, photographer man! We have work to do in the morning!" she shouted, leaving without another word. Okamura frowned, grumbling to himself as he gathered his things together and went to his make-shift bed for the night. David and Julia promised to continue their search upstairs, for some hints as to the location, using the wide computer network that Julia could navigate like a master. Tomorrow, they would all begin searching for the laboratory itself and of course, the man in charge. "Yeah… sleep sounds good." Kai said, yawning in mid sentence. "Let's all get some good rest before the chaos resumes. Don't stay up too late, guys…" and glancing at Haji and Saya with a wink, "…and don't do anything I wouldn't do with Mao!"

"I HEARD THAT!" Mao shouted from the other room. Kai laughed and winced at the same time. Lulu gave him a small pounding on the head and steered him out.

"Goodnight Haa-san… Saya-onee-chan." Lulu smiled, pushing Kai the rest of the way.

Saya sat down and quietly passed the scissors to Haji, with a smile on her face. He could hear her chuckling softly and smiled at the sound. Without a word, he got to work – snipping slowly and carefully at her long hair. Every cut he made was cautious and perfect, trying to recreate the same look she had before she went to sleep. If he was careful, he could make it near to what her father had always done. It wasn't close, but his perception was good, and she could hardly tell the difference when he was done.

Not to mention the soothing, yet antagonizing soft touches of his hands and he moved her hair, briefly brushing against her neck, arms or shoulders and she could feel them all. It was obvious that he was avoiding great contact, but it seemed like every touch he gave was well planned and methodical, if not a bit phantom and unreal. They were all so soft that sometimes it was hard to guess if they were really touches or simply her imagination having run wild. She hoped her imagination had not gone that far. But stealing a glance at him, she wouldn't be surprised if her mind had slipped that far without telling her.

It wasn't hard to get lost when it came to him. "Slowly I'm starting to understand." Saya smiled. It was a very open ended statement. Of course, she meant it to be that way. There were a lot of things that were becoming clear to her now. Visigard… her family… life… Chiroptera… Haji… she was desperately trying, and now she was able to start putting them in the places where she believed they belonged, as she started to shape the big picture of the past couple events in her mind. Haji smiled and stopped to look down at her reddish-brown eyes.

"Are you now?" he asked simply, although it sounded more like a challenge… like he was daring her to guess exactly what was going on.

Saya smiled. "It's unraveling. Even if we wanted it to stop now, it wouldn't. Eventually we'll all find out – good or bad. We just have to sit, wait and enjoy the ride, for now. And I plan to." She said, looking at her hair again, happy to see that it was back to it's normal length. "Thank you, Haji! It's perfect!" she cried gleefully, wrapping her arms around him tightly and squeezing. In his ear, she whispered, "I don't plan to take anything for granted anymore… or anyone. I've been so blessed that I don't have a reason to. I will bring this guy down and stop him from creating these monsters with your blood. In the memory of Hailey… and for my friends and family… because of this, I can't back down… I won't."

"Because afterwards… I want to live. And I want to have that life that we talked about before I fell into sleep. I want to live a happy life where I don't have to fight anymore. That is worth all the fighting now."

Julia stopped typing for a second, overcome by a heavy yawn. David watched her and pushed her away from the computer, taking over the typing. Searching through every database they knew, only a few laboratories had jumped out. But a few was more than enough for them to search. They just hoped that they had found the right one. Writing down one last address, he and Julia both decided to go to sleep, even before Saya and Haji.

Tip-toeing downstairs, the girls heard talking and ran into the kitchen, where Saya and Haji were still talking. Both turned curiously when the children came bounding in. Both wore incredibly happy smiles as they ran to greet their "auntie" and her guardian friend. Ayame took no time in climbing up onto Saya's lap happily and giggling. "Hello, Auntie!" she smiled sweetly. "Are you going to fight more Chiroptera?" she asked, excited as any child would be. Nervously, Saya laughed and nodded.

"I have to." She smiled. "For what I want and what I believe is right."

Celis smiled widely. "That's so cool! In all the stories we were ever told, it's always the man saving the weak and helpless woman. It's good to know that there are women as strong and amazing as you." Saya laughed again, remembering hearing those very same stories from Joel a hundred years ago and thinking the exact same thing, in her own snobbish way.

"**Why is it always men? What's so great about them? They're no stronger than women!" she scoffed, looking over at the young Haji and grinning in a feral manner. "I want to be the hero… will you let me save you, Haji?" she asked, her wicked, untamed smirk still in place.**

**Haji laughed. "Alright. Save me… if you can."**

Remembering her conversation with the boy made her smile. It really had been the other way around. "Even a hero like me has a knight in shining armor…" she grinned, winking at Haji. "You know… just in case I lose my way."

"YOU lose your way?" Ayame asked in bewilderment, as if she thought the woman was invincible.

Saya grinned. "Everyone does at one point or another. That's why heroes work best in teams. We all need to work together. And that way, everyone makes a difference and no one has to get hurt, because we're all there to protect each other. You don't need to count on one person, because there are a lot of people there that care for you and will fight for you. Even you have helped me."

Both girls looked up at her in awe. "WE helped YOU?" the both gasped.

"Yup!" Saya said modestly, with a content look on her face. "There was a time when I was ready to give up my chances of happiness to do what I thought was right. But you showed me that I wanted to live and prove everyone wrong about what I was. But I saw that you wanted to live… to have a chance to prove the cynics wrong. And you did. You are living proof that there is good in Chiroptera, and I want to live to be proof of that too. That's why I'm fighting the bad guys."

The girls exchanged gleeful glances. "Even WE can make a difference!"

"Not without sleep." Haji said softly, picking them both up with ease. "It's time for you to go to bed, as well as Saya. She needs to be strong for the morning, and so do you." He said, playing their desire to be helpful as a card to get them to submit to sleep. Giggling, Celis surprised him with a kiss on the cheek.

"Okay, Haa-san, but will you and Auntie tell us a story first?" Saya considered in and then shook her head.

"Too long. How about a song instead?" Whispering, Saya giggled. "I'm not as good as your mother, Diva or Haji… but I'm not as bad as Kai-niisan, either." Both of the kids also laughed and agreed to accept the song instead. Haji had forgotten that she heard him sing and blushed lightly at the compliment he wasn't sure he honestly deserved. It had been a long time since he heard her sing. And that was before he actually liked her. So obviously he thought it was bad then, because he thought she was terrible altogether. Honestly, he couldn't remember.

But he was reminded all too quickly as she began to sing on their way up the stairs to tuck the girls into their beds for the night.

I heard someone say  
"If there is love, there's peace"  
and one may agree with that, or not

Whenever I was in pain  
you'd hold me closely  
And it was in the warmth of those  
arms that I felt peace

But then I you stopped talking to you and closed  
off my heart, this love was torn apart

This time I don't  
let go off my heart  
Because the power of belief  
will set love free

When you helped me as a friend  
I imagined our future together  
And though I saw happiness in store for us  
I didn't see my own issues

Though our we said our promises would be our compass  
we lost sight of the direction this love was going in

Instead of waiting for a miracle  
I want you to hold onto my hand  
Because the power of belief  
will set me free

You don't have to fear this love  
You don't have to fear this love, this love

Kissing them goodnight, the two silently retreated into their respective rooms. When parting, Saya opened her mouth, in hopes of finding what she wanted to… no, needed to say. The words of the song sounded so beautiful, and so easy to sing. Even if it wasn't her plan, she had let her heart out to him, and she was afraid and unsure.

But for once, he let her be uncertain and let himself be sure. He wrapped his thin arms around her and whispered deep into her ear, making her whole body tingle. "I wish this love were mine." And before she could respond, he retreated into his room, leaving a completely startled Saya standing in front of her door in shock.

"Once it starts unraveling… there's no stopping it." She said, but she was already smiling as she closed the door to her room and went to bed.

* * *

Okay, I know… "where did you die to and why?" I know it had been an eternity and I apologize. Finals have just overtaken my life. But if you care, I passed my Physics final, and it's over. So updates will now be free and frequent and you won't have to torture and punish me for them. I know that will make you all smile. In return… you shall all leave reviews! Mwahahaha. Thank you and I shall have the next chapter up in a day or two. Isn't summer time nice? P

Michiyo Ichimaru


	7. Voices in and Beyond the Darkness

The Crying Planet

A Blood+ Sequel

By Michiyo Ichimaru

A/N: I don't own .hack//SIGN or the songs Fake Wings, Aura, or To Nowhere. They belong to their respective writers. I don't own Blood+. Blood+ belongs to various people including, but not limited to Aniplex, since I really don't know who all owns it. I am not making money of any sort, because it's really just about fun, and of course, to show what I think. So, I hope you enjoy it and will take the time to leave a review for me! hint, hint Thanks for the ones that I've already gotten! Keep leaving them! Love, all.

Chapter Seven: Voices in and Beyond the Darkness

_Darkness… a completely unending void that was not solid… incomplete. Shadows leapt up here and there, curling like living snakes. Sounds like wind passing over the lips of a monster… ragged and dangerously close. Warmth crept in, like fire licking at her very being. In the furthest corner, beyond the farthest reach of the abyss, something sat untouched by anything…. In a world all its own…_

_**Can you hear the calling of the raving wind and water?**_

_**We just keep dreaming of the land 'cross the river**_

_**We are always on the way to find the place we belong**_

_**Wandering to no where, we're paddling**_

_**Down the raging sea**_

_It was a simply enigmatic voice, singing in high operatic tones with all the beauty and emotion of an angel, but the foreboding of something dark and sinister. Stranger than anything, it was unreachable… not of this world. Saya was sure that no matter how far she traveled into the abyss, she would never find the source of the singing voice. But its words were still loud and clear._

_**Who can cross over such raving wind and water?**_

_**On the rolling boat we sit, shivering with coldness**_

_**Come by an island, come by a hillock,**_

_**It's just another place, we paddle on**_

_**Down the raging sea**_

_Saya began to shake filled with a sudden chill that overpowered the fire behind her. It was if she had plunged into a lake of ice. Even her blood seemed to freeze over. But touching her skin, she realized that there was nothing physical about the chill… it came from within her. Looking out into the darkness she knew what lie beyond the space that she may not cross. "Diva…" she breathed, barely a sound at all._

_**But in one morning we'll see the sun**_

_**Bright and shining morning dew singing**_

_**They who will search will find the land**_

_**Of evergreen**_

_She was not standing, for there was nothing to stand on. It was just space which she seemed to float gracefully on. And nothing existed but that infernal song that she tried so hard to block out. Her ears burnt at the sound, and her stomach seemed to overflow with sickness. Worst of all was the feeling of metal claws that seemed to reach out and squeeze her until the sharp protrusions began to rip her to shreds. But it was all in her mind…_

_**Can you hear the calling of the raving wind and water?**_

_**We just keep paddling down the sea, up the river**_

_**No destination, but we are together**_

_**In the silent sadness we're paddling**_

_**Down the raging sea**_

_**Down to nowhere**_

_In an instant, she had the sickening feeling of the gap between them slowly shrinking. "No… stay away!" Saya shouted, gripping at her own face, trying to cover her ears and eyes, and at the same time, digging her nails in painfully with frustration. She was scared… so scared. She could practically feel Diva at her side, strangling her until her breath was depleted._

"_**I will kill you. Are you scared, sister? You shall not feel rest until I have crossed over… we shall play a game then. Oh. What fun!"**__ Her laugh resounded in the space until it was so loud that Saya couldn't hear her own scared thoughts. __**"But don't forget… I love you, sister. I'm doing this for your own good."**_

Saya woke up in a panic, looking around frantically and grabbing at her neck, trying to pry Diva's invisible hands from her throat. When she realized it was only a nightmare, she broke down in choked sobs, practically throwing herself out of her bed and slumping down the hallway. She needed to talk to someone… anyone… The first door she came upon, she opened.

When she saw the children curled up in their beds, Saya felt the acid in her stomach rise again. Ayame was turned towards the door, and Saya could see her face perfectly. Her smile seemed devilish, and Saya wondered if she was the reason for her nightmare. Quickly, Saya threw herself out, closing the door softly behind her and panting. The next room was Kai's. Quietly, she entered, not wanting to wake him abruptly. "Kai?" she called softly, shaking him gently.

"Saya?" Kai looked around groggily. "What the heck are you doing up at this time of night?" He looked over at his clock. "No one gets up at three in the morning… for ANYTHING." When he saw the sad look cross her face, he sighed. "Damn. I'm sorry… it must be important. I know you wouldn't do anything of the sort otherwise. So… what is it?"

Plopping down on the edge of the bed, Saya began to fidget. "I… well… had a nightmare. It was about… Diva." Kai's eyes widened and he propped himself up on his elbows to get a closer look at her face, which was contorted in pain and sadness. "She… talked to me. She told me that she was going to… kill me. I think… she's going to… come back somehow."

Now she had Kai's full attention. "WHAT?!" he shouted. Sitting up, he pulled Saya into a hug. "That's silly. I think you're just being paranoid. You did just wake up after all. Maybe it's just your mind being unable to deal with all the pressure. It is a lot really fast, and what with all you've had to deal with in the two days you've been back, well… I don't blame you. But if you need some more convincing, I know one guy who never sleeps who would be glad to hold you in his arms and tell you that everything is going to be okay, and that you're just over-reacting." Kai said, winking at her and yawning.

"Kai!" Saya blushed, pushing him back down. "Thanks." She said, smiling sweetly. "I needed that. But… maybe I will tell him. We're in this together, so I shouldn't hold anything back from him."

Rolling his eyes, Kai rolled back over onto his side in bed. "You just want him." He said, yawning again. "Have fun you two… just don't be too loud. I wanna sleep." He said, pulling the covers up to his neck. Saya turned an even darker shade of crimson and threw the extra pillow at his head and stormed out, practically steaming. Kai just laughed, grabbed his extra pillow and went back to sleep as if nothing ever happened.

Pausing to gather her wits about her, Saya slowly went to stand in front of Haji's door. Saya knocked softly and patiently waited. It wasn't long before Haji answered the door. But to say that he looked shocked was more than an understatement. Blushing, Saya scratched the back of her head nervously. "Umm… sorry. Can we talk?"

He moved to the side to let her in and quietly shut the door behind her. "Saya… what's wrong?" Hesitantly, Saya told him the whole story. Knowing full well that he was completely awake and willing to listen to her, she told him many of the details she left out in her half-talk with half-awake Kai. The entire time he had on a serious, contemplative face. He let her talk even after her story was finished. She told him about all of her fears… all of the feelings she got… everything. When she was finished, she felt drained, but a huge weight was gone.

Moving over to her side, he raised one hand to her face and cupped it gently. "Do you believe it?"

"It seemed so real…" She muttered, snuggling close to the warm hand and taking his bandaged one in her own. "It felt like somehow… it was connected to everything that is happening now, even though she didn't say anything of the sorts. And that song… it was so creepy…"

Haji frowned. "You said it mentioned traversing a river…?" Saya nodded. "If you want to asses the validity and possibility of this… then consider that possibility that she might have been referring to crossing the River Styx." He said flatly. Saya's eyes widened in fear. Now there was a real connection and it scared her. It was okay to believe that it was a possibility and then have it turn out not to be true, but… if it was true… he saw her begin to shake.

Pulling her into his arms, he embraced her. "There's still no proof that she's involved in Visigard's work." It was more of a mental thought out loud than an argument, but Saya ate it up happily, nodding into his chest and wrapping her own arms over his back tightly. "We can deal with it when the time comes. I will protect you." He said simply, smiling softly at her.

"C-can I stay here… with you?" Saya asked softly, afraid to return to her own bed to sleep. She was afraid that if she closed her eyes, the song and the nightmare in its terrible entirety might return. But if she was here, with him and in his arms… Saya felt completely and totally safe, even in complete abandon. She knew that being with him was the safest place in the world.

Haji lifted her in his arms and laid her on his bed shortly before lying at her side. Once he was in, Saya happily put her arms around him and waited patiently as he pulled the covers up over both of them. Content, Saya lifted herself up long enough to give him a quick peck on the cheek before lying back down. But it still wasn't without embarrassment. Yet, she didn't bother to hide it. With him, she wasn't afraid to expose herself. She didn't feel like she had to be anything other than herself.

She had no more nightmares that night.

"**Come to my side."**

"_What do you want?"_

"**Don't be so shy… you belong to me."**

"_You are nothing to me."_

"**I will be EVERYTHING to you soon. You want your sister to live, don't you?"**

"……_."_

"**You're so predictable. So nice."**

"_What do you want?"_

"**I need you to go talk to him one more time."**

"_And what am I to say?"_

"**Tell him that he's no longer needed. We're going home."**

"……"

"**Now, be a good boy and give me a kiss."**

"……_."_

"_Yes, ma'am."_

"**Good. No more resistance. You and I are one. My happiness is your happiness. We will be happy…"**

"_Can we? Is there anything left for us?"_

"**Yup. We're almost there. I can see the edge of the waters now. We're going home."**

"_Home…?"_

"…_my new home…"_

"……_master?"_

"**Yes?"**

"_I'm not happy."_

"**Me neither… not yet."**

"_You seem pretty happy."_

"**You should know me better… I'm never happy until someone's screaming. Or dead."**

"……"

"_This is going to be hell…"_

"**Yes. And it will be ours… ALL ours."**

"…_.."_

"**Now's no time to lose your voice. Be proud. I chose you."**

"…_right. Sorry."_

"**Apology accepted. I love you, you know that. You're so sweet. I'm glad I chose you."**

"…_um… thank you."_

"**Now you're getting it. Go now. You have a job to do before we get home."**

"_Yes….."_

Sunlight poured in from everywhere. Saya tried to bury herself deeper, but to no avail. Someone was pulling her away from the warmth. "SAYA! You naughty girl, making me worry about you!" Mao shouted. "Imagine what I thought when I found your bed empty and couldn't find you anywhere!" Saya groaned and sat up, remembering where she was and blushed. Lucky for her, Haji had disappeared sometime between when she laid down with him and when Mao entered, because Mao kept rambling about 'Haji getting weird ideas' and 'weird to find you here without him.'

"Sorry Mao." Saya apologized sweetly, standing up quickly. It was still pretty early, but she felt her stomach calling and smiled. "You make something tasty for breakfast?" she asked with wide eyes blinking cutely. Mao tried to keep a straight, stern face, but it broke and she laughed and just kept smiling instead of trying to scold her more.

"Yeah. Same ole Saya. Food is always going to be the first thing on your mind, isn't it?" Mao giggled, poking her in the stomach. "I don't know where you hide it all, but I think it has to be part of those powers of yours. 'Cause it just ain't human." She sighed. "Come on. There's food waiting downstairs. Kai was worried about you for some reason. He wanted to make sure you were okay. Something about a nightmare. I figured that's why you were in here. No shock that he went and hid, either. You can tell him I don't bite, you know." She scowled.

"Haji did it for my sake, I know that. He didn't want me to feel weird. I know he didn't say it, but I just know him that well. That and I know he trusts you. If he had any doubts at all I'd know about them. Haji isn't the type to hide his judgments. It's part of his protective nature. So don't worry."

Mao grinned. "Good. I thought I might have scared him with my little warning." Saya's eyes snapped opened.

"What…? What warning?" she asked nervously.

"Oh, nothing… just… a friendly warning." Mao smirked wickedly, sticking out her tongue playfully and running downstairs. "Come join us for breakfast Saya!" she shouted, not slowing down a bit. Saya smiled softly and rolled her eyes. But her stomach won out and she ran after her as fast as she could, laughing and smiling.

"_He's thoroughly scared… you happy?"_

"**Oh yes. Now the real fun begins. Are you ready?"**

"…_sure. I'm not getting any older."_

"**You're hilarious! I love that about you. Let's go!"**

"…_.."_

_**Keep your eyes on me**_

_**Now we're on the edge of hell**_

_**Dear my love, sweet morning light**_

_**Wait for me, you've gone much farther**_

…_**too far…**_

_**Knowing the song I will sing**_

_**Till the darkness comes to sleep**_

_**Come to me**_

_**I will tell bout the secret of the sun**_

_**It's in you, not in me**_

_**But it does not mean a thing to you**_

_**The sun is in your eyes**_

_**The sun is in your ears**_

_**I hope you see the sun**_

_**Someday in the darkness**_

_**But you can't see the sun**_

_**Ever in the darkness**_

_**It does not much matter to me**_

Okay. Hooray. This was a mentally challenging chapter, because it's meant to be a little psychological. The songs I used are from .hack//SIGN and match perfectly, no? If you've never heard the songs, you should listen to them. They are in English, and quite beautiful. Anyway… I hope you liked this chapter and will review again! Thanks. Next chapter is in the works. Give it a day or two… three at most, if I become stuck. Until then… sayonara!

Michiyo Ichimaru


	8. Connection Severed

The Crying Planet

A Blood+ Sequel

By Michiyo Ichimaru

A/N: I don't own Blood+. Blood+ belongs to various people including, but not limited to Aniplex, since I really don't know who all owns it. I am not making money of any sort, because it's really just about fun, and of course, to show what I think. So, I hope you enjoy it and will take the time to leave a review for me! hint, hint Thanks for the ones that I've already gotten! Keep leaving them! Love, all.

Chapter Eight: Connection Severed

Mao tapped the toe of her shoe against the floor, lost deep in concentration. She almost forgot completely about the dishes she was supposed to be filling and serving to her friends. Passing by the door, Okamura glanced at her briefly and noticed her blank stare. "Uh… hey." He said, waving his hand in her face. Her eyes contracted momentarily; she was unaware of her surroundings for a second. "Don't worry, it's just me. You were zoning." He said, sighing softly. "You okay?" Huffing, Mao picked up all the dishes and laughed bitterly.

"Of course I am!" She said indignantly, striding past him. If she knew anything, she knew that she didn't need to lean on anybody. Pausing at the doorway, she heard the TV. news reporter speaking loud and clear. Her brows furrowed deeply and she listened for a second. "Hey. I have to take these out. Make yourself useful and see what's on the news." She said, throwing her handy notebook and a pen back at Okamura's face. Then she left with a huge smile on her face.

Sometimes… no, most of the time, Okamura wondered why he agreed to come back to help them in the first place. Then he remembered, and everything felt a little bit worse.

_It had been three days ago, in his own home. He poured himself a glass of wine and sat down to organize a new, better portfolio to show prospective employers. His old one had been out-dated and he had taken a lot of good photos since then. Okamura had been so into his work, that he didn't notice his wine glass move. When he reached over blindly for it and only felt air, he knew something was off. Looking around frantically, he wondered if he was going completely mad._

"_You leave the door completely unlocked, ignore the doorbell AND don't even notice when I steal your drink… You better watch what kind of enemies you make. If I didn't like you, I could have killed you in two seconds and gotten away clean."_

_Okamura turned around quickly. Mao was sitting on the desk behind him with a huge grin on her face, and his wine glass, almost completely drained. Speechlessly, he stood up and walked over to her, looking her over silently. 'Five years, huh?' he thought to himself. 'Well… her attitude hasn't changed at all. If I wasn't looking at her, I wouldn't know that any time had passed at all.' Taking the glass back from her, he went to fill it again. "What are you doing here, anyway? Even if I had suspected it, it doesn't make sense."_

_Mao frowned. "You're as lame as ever. I didn't come to SEE you. I came to ask for your help." She huffed, jumping down from the desk and trying to steal his wine away again. "Saya woke up early. Not only that, but a whole bunch of new Chiropterans showed up to give her a grand welcome… of the violent nature, of course. Everyone else is getting together at Kai's. David and Julia already left and Louis will probably not be far behind. Kai, Haji and the little girl Lulu are all at the house now with Saya and the two little kids Ayame and Celis."_

_As he listened, Okamura sipped at his wine slowly, taking in all the information. Although it looked like he didn't care, the reality was far from it. His face was that of complete concentration and his mind was working at top speed. "So?" he asked, blinking at the impassioned girl in front of him. The last thing he wanted was to let her know that he was interested. If she found out, he would get no mercy… she'd suck him dry like the nasty leech she could be. No way would he let that happen._

"_SO?!" She shouted angrily. "You jerk! How can you pretend to be so nonchalant!? We NEED your HELP! You wouldn't even THINK about refusing now… would you?" Mao was right in his face, poking him in the cheek forcefully. When he didn't answer, she bared her teeth and grabbed his shirt, shaking him. "WOULD YOU?!" Suddenly she let go, as if she had been burnt by the touch. Okamura blinked in shock, wondering what came over her so suddenly._

_Mao sat down on one of the chairs and closed her eyes. "I'm scared, okay…?" she said softly. "I don't have many friends, and if I lose them, I lose all I ever learned to love. Kai told me that not even Haji could kill them. If that's true, then… what do we possibly have to hope for? No happy ending… because no good could ever come from this. There's just more dying, more pain… and I'm worried about the kids, too. Ayame could turn for the worse… Kai already said she has the voice of Diva… What can I do? I have connections, but not the kind that can take me where I need to go."_

_Angry tears formed, as her face scrunched up in to one of pain. "Don't you see?! I NEED YOU!" she shouted bitterly. "Without you to help me… I can't help anyone!" she got up quickly and nearly feinted from the rush. "I… I hate it." She said warily, wobbling back and forth slightly as she regained her strength from her dizziness. Okamura frowned and steadied her with both hands, looking at her passionate eyes. At first, he was sure she was just a good actor. But he realized that he was wrong… she was speaking her truest, deepest feelings, straight from the heart._

"_Jahana-san…" He paused. The last thing he wanted was to make a commitment so soon without the proper decisive thought processes behind it, but now really wasn't the time, and he couldn't say that going with her wasn't exactly what he had been planning, even before her outburst. Grabbing his camera bag and a full legal pad, Okamura tried his best to smile. "Tell me all you know on the way there." Mao blinked a few times and slowly smiled in return, the most genuine smile he had ever seen… well, from her anyway._

Now, it looked like she really had played him for a fool. And he felt like her slave than her mentor. 'Apprentice my ass.' He scowled, walking towards the small TV behind the counter in the restaurant. There was a large crowd outside a small building in what appeared to be Shinjuku. Even though it was rather small compared to all the other buildings around it, this building seemed to stand out even more as far as appearance and occupation. Okamura frowned, making note of Shinjuku, and the relative appearance of the building and its surroundings.

A lady reporter was speaking in a rushed tone, giving off an air of scandal and excitement. Okamura had a bad feeling that things were about to get messy. And he was right.

"Sometime early this morning or late last night, the esteemed Armand Zuni has been killed in his very own laboratory. One eye witness says he saw what appeared to be a young boy entering and exiting the building twice. The young boy has become the sole suspect and the police are currently hunting him down. A composite sketch has been made, but will not be released until later in the week. Much information is still being held. The results of the autopsy included. Hopefully we will have more for you soon. So keep us on, for updates on the headlining story."

Okamura blinked at the TV with eyes wide. He didn't know what to say or how to respond. If the story was true, the fake "Zuni", Visigard, was dead, and it was committed by a young boy. And if that was true, the boy was probably one of his experiments gone out of control. None of it settled in his stomach and he was sure the others would _love_ this.

If Visigard was gone, than who were they after? It threw their entire plan out the window, and left the possibility of a 'higher' force of evil. And that was more than any of them bargained for. Like a zombie he walked back to the kitchen with an empty look in his eyes. Mao heard his footsteps and turned around quickly. "What took you so long? I was almost finished with the dishes…" However, her voice slowly faded out as she scolded him. She looked at him and frowned. "What… what's wrong with you?" she asked.

Silently, he handed her the notebook he had written it all down on and went to fix himself a drink. Mao frowned at the crude way he drew the building and his terrible handwriting. But when she started reading, she didn't even notice. "WHAT?!" she shouted, looking up at Okamura, who was sipping his drink slowly. "Are you sure about this?" Okamura looked at her with a half-lidded gaze of annoyance.

"No. I made it up." He drawled sarcastically. "Yes. That's exactly what I heard, _Master_." He said, with emphasis on the bitter 'master.' Mao scowled in return, fighting the urge to hit him. "But that's not important, is it? What's important is… what are we gonna do? If Visigard is dead, we have more problems than just searching and destroying. Everything's all messed up, and I don't want to be the one breaking it to the others. They're going to have to start all over again… and what if there's someone even more powerful than Visigard? It's all falling apart."

Mao ran to his side and sealed his lips with her pointer finger. "Hush! We won't tell them… not before doing some investigating of our own. It sounds like the perfect scoop for a journalist and his apprentice, now doesn't it? Come on!" She said, pulling on his arm diligently. "And not a word to Saya or the others." She said softly but curtly, yanking on both of his arms until he was standing and fighting to get her off of him.

"Uhm… we're going out, you guys!" Mao shouted from the doorway. Everyone turned to stare as she smiled and pushed Okamura out the door. "We saw some place interesting that deserves investigating. It just might be the laboratory of Visigard!" she grinned, shutting the door behind her and leaving the rest of her friends in stunned silence. Julia, David and Louis exchanged nervous glances and all ran to the door to stop Mao and Okamura before they left in the car.

But the car was already gone. "Damn! How dare they just run off without telling us anything…?" David fumed, slamming the door. "I'd like to know what that Jahana girl is thinking. She thinks she's so powerful… well WE'RE in charge!" he continued mumbling, but he wouldn't say anything else. Julia tried calming him down, but to no avail. Kai watched it all passively. He felt like he knew less than even David and the others. It was strange to see Mao act this way, and watching her run off with Okamura without a word was definitely a shock.

If he knew that girl like he did, than he knew she was up to something.

"Did you have to make a scene? And the running… you know they're mad, don't you?" Okamura sighed. His desire for a cigarette was strong, but he was pretty sure her policy on smoking hadn't changed since the last time. So he just focused on driving to keep his mind off smoking. Mao was in the passenger's seat smiling like she had won some great victory.

"Oh it wasn't that bad. Just enough so it doesn't seem like we completely left them out of it. Holding out isn't considered lying. We're just… checking our suspicions before we just jump to conclusions. That doesn't sound like a crime, now does it?" Mao grinned. "Besides, they never would have let us go alone anyway. Hence why we had to tell and run. It's a hush-hush, and the police wouldn't let us in if we had them too! We're getting in on the value of your press pass. What a handy thing it is." She smiled, stealing the badge from him and admiring it.

When they reached Shinjuku, the crowd was still there if not even larger than before. "Gah!" Mao fumed. "Look at all these idiots! I bet HALF of them don't even KNOW that man. Probably just enjoy other people's pain… such a publicity stunt. Think we can really get in?" she asked. "Honestly… I think these guys are all professionals." Okamura looked around at the crowd, to keep his mind off of Jahana's suggestions of mediocrity. A lot of faces stood out and he smiled.

"Most of it's still local, and I know a lot of these guys. I'd say fifty percent of them are my equals and twenty percent are newbies… even lower in the ranks than I am." He said proudly. "However… as quickly as the news came, the number of higher-ups is shocking. This must really be a big investigation. Let's go get a closer look for ourselves." He was about to walk up to the guard when Mao stopped him. She had a spooked look on her face and pointed out in the distance to a small grove of trees. "Hmm?" he asked curiously, squinting to get a closer look.

Mao grabbed onto his arm and made a squealing sound. "I saw something go into the grove. Until I spotted it… the thing was FOLLOWING us." Mao whispered fearfully. It seemed crazy, but he believed her right away. And if asked, he never would admit it, but it had a lot to do with the fact that she currently held on to him out of fear. Okamura knew that just wasn't her style, so he gave her the benefit of the doubt.

Walking forward slowly and dragging a paralyzed Mao with him, Okamura scanned the tree lines. The wind rustled the trees, but his eyes were good, and he watched the shadows with alert eyes. "Do you see it?" Mao asked fearfully, clutching his arm tighter. An unnatural gust flew through the trees even though the wind was still, and suddenly, two shadows appeared on the edge of the forest.

They were far enough away that they were hidden by the darkness, but clear enough to make out the edges vaguely amongst the trees. "There!" Mao shouted, though Okamura already saw them. "W-who are you and what do you want here?" she shouted, moving back to hide behind Okamura. At first it didn't seem like there would be any answer, when a feminine voice laughed.

"**What do you think? What should we do with them? People shouldn't stick their noses where they don't belong…"**

"_Please…"_

"**Please WHAT boy? Don't get scared on me now. I need a strong man at my side. You can do that. I've seen it. Now become that person and let go of this stupid affinity!"**

"_Master… I… they are… there's no need to hurt THEM."_

"**Oh. I see. They are friends. But you must know then that they are on the opposing side."**

"_But I was NEVER on your side."_

Mao and Okamura listened to the two in a mix of fear and confusion. The voices seemed different, and yet… familiar. It was only then that Mao remembered her conversation with Kai.

"_She told me she heard Diva… Saya really believes that she could come back." Kai told her. "Even though it was just a dream… I mean… she BELIEVED it and I'm worried about her. What if all the pressure is finally getting to her?"_

"Or maybe she's not crazy at all." Mao whispered. "Okamura, that's…" She tried to warn him, but apparently, the two were done arguing and the woman seemed to have noticed Mao's revelation before she could get it out.

"**Oh, but now the girl knows too much. We have to exterminate her. And I doubt the man will just stand by while we slaughter her. We'll have to kill him too, then."**

Throwing her arms around Okamura, Mao whimpered pitifully. "I can hear it!" she shouted. "It hurts…" her whole body was shaking, as Diva's song coursed through her body. "Okamura… you wouldn't… leave me to save yourself. Please… we have to stop her. It's… that's… she's Diva…" she muttered softly in his ear.

Okamura's eyes widened. "Diva?! The same one Saya killed? No way! Saya said she watched the girl turn to stone!" But the moonlight shone, and Diva stood there, as alive as she had ever been. And her smile hadn't dimmed in the least, seeming to take on an even more twisted appearance.

"**That's right. I'm back. Give me some credit… it wasn't easy. But… I couldn't have done it alone."** She pulled the boy to her side, into the moonlight. **"Say hello, sweetheart… then say goodbye." **Diva laughed viciously, thrusting the boy out in front of her, giving him a good view of the frightened Okamura and Mao. Both of them gasped as they came face to face with that of someone they both recognized, as dread crept in from all around them. The air grew thick and Mao screamed.

"You! Riku… you did this? Are you the boy who killed Visigard? Please… please don't tell me that it was you… it would break Saya's heart!" Mao shouted. Riku's head dropped and his eyes wouldn't leave the ground.

"_I'm sorry for the things I've done. But I can't stand down anymore. Besides… Visigard deserved it. He hurt his own daughter and a lot of other innocent people. I don't feel sorry for stopping him before he hurt thousands of others with his stupid experiments! And he would have come after us next."_

Okamura frowned. "Us? You put yourself in her category now…? Are you telling us that you're our enemy now?" he said, willfully putting a protective arm in front of Mao, like a barrier between her and them. "Visigard was a bad man, but can you say that Diva's intentions… or even your own are any better than his? Not if you would attack Saya… not if you would kill someone you love."

Riku's eyes dilated and he gasped softly. _"Saya's… awake? I thought she wouldn't be awake for another twenty five years!" _he turned to Diva quickly and pointed an accusing finger at her. _"Why didn't you tell me?! What are you planning?!"_

"**Does it matter, sweetie? You don't have a choice either way. We are bound together. You have to come to my side no matter what I chose to do until I set you free. And I will NEVER set you free! I love you way too much." **Diva crooned with a wicked smile plastered on her face. **"So either way, it doesn't matter. You should just enjoy the view…" **she laughed, walking closer to Mao and Okamura.

Diva looked at them for a second and laughed again, even harder. **"I love that look. You will be so much fun to crush. Go home. Go tell my precious sister that I'm coming. It won't make it any easier and it won't help you. But I will so enjoy your fear. And your attempts to stop me will no doubt be humorous. Run away… cower, you little fleas! You aren't the ones I'm after anyway. Now GO! Get out of my sight!"**

Mao wanted to say something. She wanted to do something. However, Okamura pushed her back to the car and threw her in. "I know what you're thinking and no. We have to go tell the others. It doesn't matter right now. We know for sure that Visigard is dead, and now we know who we're up against and what they have in mind. There's still a lot we don't know, and it's questionable, but… we can't do anything. That's Saya's job." He sighed. "I don't know if you WANT to give me a heart attack, but don't EVER do that again! She WOULD have KILLED YOU!"

She never saw him freak out like that. At first, she didn't know what to say. Mao smiled. "I know, I know… what's done is done. You don't have to worry about me." Watching the world outside the window as they drove past, Mao sighed and her smile faded. "I can't believe it. She dragged Riku back with her… the nerve of that bitch! I know she did it just to hurt Saya. It's gonna kill her inside. How can she fight him?"

"What do you expect me to say? I. Don't. Know. What I do know is that SHE can't be let free. So why don't you ask yourself what you're going to do instead." Okamura said, unable to look her in the eye. Mao bit her lip and considered it. Then she smiled.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm gonna do whatever I can to help Saya and the others get rid of Diva and save Riku. You… you're not leaving now are you?" Okamura looked at her and laughed. He was just that shocked. Obviously Mao didn't like that because she scowled and hit him in the shoulder. It wasn't really painful, but she wasn't really kidding either.

Okamura sighed. "You mean I actually have a choice now? Well, now that you say it like that, helping you doesn't sound so bad. Besides… when I start something exciting, I have this need to solve the mystery and unravel the entire story. It's a journalist thing." He smiled, pulling into the driveway. Mao smiled and jumped out of the car excitedly, running to the door but stopping there and turning back to look at Okamura and waited for him to catch up to her.

Pushing him in first, she opened the door and forced him in. "Come on… it's almost lunch time. And I doubt anyone else is gonna cook." She sighed. "Guys! We're back!" she shouted. "So… what do you feel like eating?" she asked, walking into the kitchen. Okamura scratched his head and smiled sheepishly.

"Okay… why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?" Mao stuck her head out the door and smiled wickedly at him.

"What ever do you mean? You're not telling me that you think I'm not ALWAYS nice to you… ARE YOU?" she growled viciously. Okamura smiled nervously and shook his head.

"Not at all…"

"Good!" Mao smiled. "You'll help me tell the others about what we saw over lunch." She ordered, going back in the kitchen. He didn't get a chance to tell her what he wanted and she didn't ask again, but he didn't mind. For once, he felt content with his position. Even if things looked terrible, he had a good feeling about it.

When Mao came back out with all the food, he was fast asleep in the chair where she left him last. Sighing heavily, she threw a blanket over him and smiled. "I guess I can handle it myself just this once. I'll hear from him again when he gets hungry… typical man." She huffed, taking the food out to the dining room. "COME GET IT!" she shouted to the others, preparing to tell them the story of a lifetime. And not the good kind… 'Okamura… I wish you weren't sleeping right now… damn it! Why is it NOW that I feel like I need to be nice to him…' she sighed and prepared herself mentally.

Blah. That was hard to write, simply because I find it hard to write between Mao and Okamura. As much as I like them together, it's harder for me than most other character interactions. That and it was a big turning point. I hope it turned out all right. Thank you for reading, and please leave a review!!!!

Michiyo Ichimaru


	9. Falter But Fight On

The Crying Planet

A Blood+ Sequel

By Michiyo Ichimaru

A/N: I don't own Blood+. Blood+ belongs to various people including, but not limited to Aniplex, since I really don't know who all owns it. I am not making money of any sort, because it's really just about fun, and of course, to show what I think. So, I hope you enjoy it and will take the time to leave a review for me! hint, hint Thanks for the ones that I've already gotten! Keep leaving them! Love, all.

Chapter Nine: Falter But Fight On

The words slowly became hollow. Saya only barely felt herself swaying lightly, as she picked out the words that Mao was telling them. Even though she was surrounded by others, she could hardly see them as tears pooled in her eyes. All the things she feared… what she saw… it was real, and the facts showed themselves. Not to her, but to Mao and Okamura. Blinking back another trail of tears, Saya felt the haunting memory of a much too realistic dream come back in a slow, flowing stream.

**Can you hear the calling of the raving wind and water?  
We just keep dreaming of the land 'cross the river…**

She could see them, in a field of completely white flowers on the edge of a river… the River Styx… Diva was smiling and waving at her, as if she knew that she was there. Riku's face was blank, and while Saya wanted to see some sort of resistance from him… some proof that he really wasn't helping Diva… he seemed to follow her without a single fuss.

Distantly, Saya felt herself slipping from the seat and falling into the arms of another as she was caught. But the arms were so distant that she could neither see nor name the face. All she could hear was Diva's song and laugh, as it echoed tauntingly and viciously across the space that separated them. Unable to fight, Saya felt herself being carried upstairs. Blurs of brown woods and blue carpets swarmed in her teary eyes before she came face to face with the soft mahogany wood of her bedroom door being pushed open and was placed on the white and red soft cotton sheets.

"_Ya see… Riku was there. He was alive. But Diva was with him at the scene of the crime. She had him calling her 'Master' and… he listened. Even though he argued for us… it doesn't change the fact that he's still with her. And he killed Visigard. He confessed to it. Even if he thought it was for the greater good, Visigard is gone and the one connection we had is lost. If the Chiropterans don't stop coming, we have no one to turn the blame on but them."_

Mao's words stung. Even in her compassion, she was ready to turn on Riku if it meant stopping the Chiropterans. That was something Saya was not ready to vow to, nor did she ever think she would be able to. No matter what he had done, he was still her younger brother in her heart. And that was all she could think about. She could never hurt her brother, could she?

"_Diva has Riku bound to her, Saya… I'm sorry, but I don't think there's anything we can do right now. At least now he knows you're awake. I think she kept it from him to stop him from trying to rebel. Maybe he'll fight it now that he knows, but still… we have to be prepared for the worst."_

Saya wanted to be more optimistic than that. It would be easier not to believe a word of it. Yet, she knew that Mao would never lie about something like that and she felt bad for trying to pretend, but at the same time, it was hurting her to be realistic. The death of Visigard seemed to be a good thing. But if a bad person like Diva killed him, did it mean that she was above him and tired of him or that she was opposed to him, and perhaps they were wrong about his intentions all along. Doubt flooded her ears and she started asking herself so many questions.

And she didn't have a single answer to anything anymore.

Feeling something cool, she opened her eyes a bit to glare at the damp cloth being dabbed across her face. Had she really passed out? It had seemed like she was thinking consciously, but the fact remained that she remembered the moment she fell and the haziness. Looking up, she saw Haji sit on the bed next to her. The others were all being forced out at the door by an angry Kai who told them they should let her be. For once, she was grateful to be away from all her friends. Even if it was out of love…

It was too much.

"Saya." She barely heard Haji's voice, as soft as it was. Yet, she felt the certainty of what he knew he needed to say. "You know everything you need to know. Don't doubt it. She is still her and Riku is still your brother, as well as your Chevalier. It is all you need to know to keep going."

At first, she wanted to tell him that it didn't tell her anything at all. Her head was so filled with horrible and painful thoughts. But then, the real answer hit her, and Saya realized that he was right. She let it get to her, but when her head cleared, only the facts remained. Diva was bad, but Riku was good, forced to Diva's side, but still always faithful to her, Kai and the others over all.

Jumping up into a sitting position, Saya felt the cloth fall from her head, into her lap. Looking at Haji, she smiled genuinely. "You're right! I have to punish Diva so that I can free Riku. Unlike her, I know he's good. We'll find out what she's up to and shut her down so Riku can come home with us… I want that… so much…" Her voice went from an excited banter, to a soft, pleading sound as she slowly faded out.

Haji gently placed his hand over hers. "Then… fight." He said, as he told her many times before. But this wasn't about what was right or violence. It was about fighting for something that she wanted and saving somebody she loved. And that was the greatest thing of all to fight for.

"Haji?" Saya looked at him blankly, having regained her composure and smiling slowly. "Thank you. You always seem to know just what to say to make me snap out of it, and afterwards I always feel better." She linked her fingers with his and leaned over to kiss him briefly, before bolting off the bed like the coward she was and run back downstairs, where the others were waiting. Haji let the stoic mask slip and smiled, getting up to follow her downstairs.

Immediately Kai stood up, looking at both of them worriedly. "Are you okay, Saya? I'm sorry if we weren't very sensitive, but… I'm worried too! We can go through this better if we support each other. Both of us loved him just as much and I know you want him back as badly as I do. So let's do something about it!" Saya smiled and nodded.

"I know. I reacted… out of instinct. But I'm feeling much better now. The clearest thing to me right now is that we have to stop Diva. Whatever she's doing can't be good if she came all the way out of the peaceful afterlife to cause all this trouble. Right now, she's our biggest suspect. And the smartest thing to do would be to infiltrate the lab and look for any kinds of clues. Then we can learn a little more about her plans and see who's working to help her."

Everyone exchanged looks. It was dangerous, and quite risky getting straight to the point like that.

David grinned. "I agree. There's no point in dancing around the issue. We know that the longer we wait the more danger we, Riku and anyone else involved will be subjected to. So I say Lewis, Kai and I will go into the Lab directly. Mao and Okamura will interview the residents nearby, asking for any information that could be considered unusual or helpful in our investigation. Saya and Haji will be on alert for any Chiropterans that are near or in the laboratory when we get there. If any of us see anything, we'll contact them to take them down."

This was a solid plan, and everyone agreed. With intelligent words behind it, it didn't sound so reckless or hopeless. Julia frowned. "What can I do while you're gone?" she asked, irritated that she was left out of the plans. David smiled.

"Don't worry. As soon as we're in I'm going to start feeding you names and such to research. We need to know as much as possible about all the people who touched this project. That also includes those that have died in trying to work on this project. Find out all you can." Julia smiled and nodded, glad to have a goal to focus on. They all were.

It allowed them to push aside the thought of a possible encounter with Riku AND Diva, and the possibility that he might have to fight, bound to her as he was. None of them dared to say anything of their worries, and prayed with all their hearts that this plan would work… without flaw.


	10. The Flaw in the Plan

The Crying Planet

A Blood+ Sequel

By Michiyo Ichimaru

A/N: I don't own Blood+. Blood+ belongs to various people including, but not limited to Aniplex, since I really don't know who all owns it. I am not making money of any sort, because it's really just about fun, and of course, to show what I think. So, I hope you enjoy it and will take the time to leave a review for me! hint, hint Thanks for the ones that I've already gotten! Keep leaving them! Love, all.

Chapter Ten: The Flaw in the Plan

Saya listened to the sharp howling of the wind as it raced over the tops of nearby buildings. Fifty feet below her was the lab where Kai, Lewis, and David were searching for clues. An hour passed since they entered, and there had been no activity at all. Neither groups, the investigators nor the interrogators, Mao and Okamura, had contacted Haji or Saya at all. Looking carefully over the scene told Saya that there weren't any Chiropterans anywhere near the lab or surrounding houses.

"Aren't you bored?" A drawling voice asked from behind, causing Saya to jump in alarm. In Saya's anxiety, she hadn't even noticed the person that was there, behind her for who knows how long. Fear struck; only long enough for Saya to realize who it was. The small female sat down with a loud plop and grinned widely. "Hiya Saya! How's it goin'?"

Relief flooded Saya and she smiled back weakly. "Lulu! You scared me senseless! Don't sneak up on people like that!" Calming herself, Saya frowned. "It's so calm. It's got me a little worried. But what about you? Didn't they give you a job?" Lulu frowned and gave Saya her best pout.

"Of course they did! After your meeting was over, David told me I was supposed to stay home and watch after the kids while they were gone. I was kinda mad. Especially after he left me out on the whole meeting thing. But I guess it must have been personal or something. Anyway, it's okay now because it doesn't matter." Lulu said, smiling happily as she jumped up and started rocking on the back of her heels. "I bet you knew, but Riku's back. He came to see his kids."

The fear returned, double fold. "WHAT?!" Saya shouted. "He came to the house?" she asked. Haji looked just as shocked. If that was the case, then they had seriously mistaken Diva's plans right from the start.

Lulu nodded. "Yup. Said he would take care of them for a while. Don't know why you guys couldn't have let me in on the whole secret. I think it's great. I know that searching for Diva hurt me and my friends a lot, but I know better than to blame him. We can't even really blame Diva. I'm happy for you." She smiled. "Anyways, it's too late to do anything for them now, anyway. I think they're happy where they are."

"That's not it at all! Riku is… well, he's on Diva's side right now. He doesn't have a choice but to help her, but still. And if he has Ayame and Celis… we have to track them down and get them back before Diva gets a hold of them. If we catch Riku, maybe we can still persuade him." The three of them all took off running at the same time. "And… we just didn't want to get you involved. We just wanted you to be able to stay safe and happy. We didn't want you to have to fight."

She smiled. "But I want to fight! To help the people who gave me this happy time. I'll show you the direction he left, but that's really all I know. He didn't tell me where he was going." Saya nodded, letting the purple haired girl take the lead. Lulu kept at a good pace, and stopped when they reached the house. "That way!"

From the looks of it, he wasn't taking a road. So that meant that he was simply trying to go the quickest route. Saya took out her cell phone and dialed Mao's number. To track him, she would need information, and Mao and Okamura had the greatest knowledge of location. Right now, she didn't have enough time to call David. She didn't want to leave them hanging, but she doubted any Chiropterans would show up after zero activity ALL NIGHT.

"Hello?" Mao answered softly. "Oh! Saya! Is something wrong?" She asked. Currently, they were in the house of an elderly lady who lived next to the laboratory. The old lady knew a LOT though. And Okamura agreed to get it all out of her if Mao would just write. Okamura looked at her anxiously, as he told the lady to wait a second before continuing her story.

Mao pulled Okamura to her side and let him listen to Saya as well.

Okamura sighed. "Away from the original laboratory? Where the heck else would he go…?" He turned back to the old lady, sitting patiently. She looked like she had something to say. It couldn't hurt to ask, either. "Do you know any other places connected to this laboratory?"

"There was a library-data-observation complex not far from here. It's far to the north-west, but it's the only place I can think of. My son was used by those terrible people! Please…. Make them pay for what they did to him…"

Mao told Saya everything the old woman said, and Saya took off to the northwest, phone still tight to her ear. "Ask her for the address please." She panted, looking about cautiously, even though Haji very clearly had her back. Lulu followed as well, hoping to help Saya retrieve the kids and bring Riku back.

"513 Moonlit View." Saya said. "Thanks. We'll find it." And abruptly, she hung up the phone, before Okamura or Mao could say anything else. Mao frowned and threw her phone down. Both her and Okamura exchanged worried glances and looked out the window. A fog was rolling in, creating an eerie glow in the moon's light.

"I can't believe she just took off like that! From the sounds of it, David doesn't even know that she's stopped patrolling for Chiropterans! And if the Chiropterans DO come… they'll kill us for sure without Saya OR Haji!" Mao hugged her knees to her chest. "But who can blame her….? After all… she IS going after her brother.

Okamura nodded. "I think it's best that we wrap up here and go tell David the news. The sooner we can get out of this area, the safer we'll be." Turning to the woman, he smiled and bowed his head. "Thank you for all you have done. It will help immensely, and I'm sure the right people will be put to justice. If you have any questions or concerns, I'll give you my card… as easily as we can contact you, you can contact us. We'll keep you updated." She took the card gratefully and showed them outside.

The wind had picked up, and howled against the trees nearby. Okamura cringed, and started steering Mao in the direction of the laboratory.

But when they got there, David and the others were already running out. A fire could be seen growing, from one of the windows in the front. David scowled. "Where the HELL are Saya and Haji!" He yelled furiously. But the question was obviously rhetorical. He pulled them over to the van and told everyone to get in. An angry Chiropteran was seen trying to completely rip off the front door.

They drove back to the house, while Mao and Okamura tried to explain…


	11. Hopelessness, Helplessness

The Crying Planet

A Blood+ Sequel

By Michiyo Ichimaru

A/N: I don't own Blood+. Blood+ belongs to various people including, but not limited to Aniplex, since I really don't know who all owns it. I am not making money of any sort, because it's really just about fun, and of course, to show what I think. So, I hope you enjoy it and will take the time to leave a review for me! hint, hint Thanks for the ones that I've already gotten! Keep leaving them! Love, all.

Chapter Eleven: Helplessness, Hopelessness

Riku stared at the two girls contently sitting in his arms. They were lively girls, and kept talking and asking questions. If the situation had been different… he would have loved to be able to hold them and talk about the past and tell them stories and pointless facts just for fun. But the circumstances were quite different and the world he was living in and the rope he was walking on was quite fragile. For him, the only thing he could do was assure them that at least, the one fact he told them when he came for them was true.

He could tell them no more…

In the distance, a song began. Ayame's eyes widened and her grin increased two-fold. "That's mommy! I know it!" Without warning, she struggled free from Riku and ran ahead into the darkness where Riku saw her disappear. Celis became panicked, and Riku took off after Ayame. But she was already safe, found by her mother, Diva, and currently cradled in her arms as Diva whispered words of love through a beautiful opera aria that sang of hope and unrequited, unconditional love.

Although he was unsure of her motives or if she was genuine at all, he put it behind him, knowing that his case was hopeless. As long as she held the leash, he was chained to her forever, to do all she asked.

"**My sweet children welcome home. How I have missed seeing your smiling faces!"** Diva smiled beautifully, hugging Ayame tighter and reaching out gently for Celis, motioning for her to join them on her small throne: a table in the midst of a messy laboratory. Riku wished he could tell them not to do it, but she was watching him so intensely, beckoning to him in the same way she called to the kids. **"Come here, Riku. You have done a wonderful job. Our work is soon done and then we can rest and we won't have to fight anymore."**

"You seem so certain. What makes you think everything will work to your advantage, anyway? It's likely that something will go wrong if all of them fight back against you. No one's luck is so perfect." He said, sitting on the floor close enough to make her happy, but distant enough that he didn't feel as uncomfortable. She seemed to notice, but didn't say anything and laughed simply.

"**Because it will. I have complete faith in my good luck. Fate is on my side, if you can't tell. Otherwise I wouldn't be so lucky to have you and my sweet children beside me now…" **she said, looking down lovingly at the two children. Celis was nervously squirming, but Ayame was quickly enraptured by her mother's beautiful face and the voice that sounded like the most beautiful of all the angels'.

Riku sighed in defeat, looking away, unable to deal with the fact of his betrayal. More than anything, he wanted to fight Diva. But this was something he was incapable of doing. It was her who brought him back with her across the river of death, and he was bound to her, by the strength she used to resurrect his living breath and undead soul. Now both were at her command until someone forced them apart. So he prayed for Saya to come and overpower the demon who ensnared his help.

Reaching up, Ayame brushed her mother's soft hair. "Auntie always told us that you were beautiful. I knew that I just had to meet you one day!" she said excitedly. "Kai said that I had your voice…" she smiled proudly, like there was nothing better in the whole wide world. This made Diva reflect the same pride as she grinned happily.

"**Is that so? I'm so happy that I was able to bring about such beautiful bright lives, full of talent and hope."** She said, hugging them both. A loud crash in the distance made Celis jump and run from Diva's arms towards Riku. Diva looked about in a calm manner and giggled airily. **"They're here already. Not bad for such a rag-tag team of misfits."** She said, putting down Ayame and spreading her arms and dancing about childishly. **"Let's fight, Riku! Fight for me, beside me, always!"**

If Riku hadn't known better, he would have guessed that there was a sign of true sweetness in her words. But knowing Diva, it only made him worry more. When she started acting, the world became her stage and anything was possible for her. Without limits, she would fight and kill and claim until she was satisfied for a time. Diva would never be fully satisfied… desires inside her were too strong, and she wanted the world, like a child wants a toy. She would do anything to get it…

Outside, Haji and Saya landed, with Lulu a few seconds later a few feet back. "Be careful, okay?" she asked nervously, fidgeting and pressing her pointer fingers together anxiously. Saya looked back and smiled, nodding.

"We will bring Riku back… Celis and Ayame too! Don't worry…" she said, turning to Haji and motioning for him to follow her. But upon facing the laboratory, the three of them realized that they weren't alone anymore. Diva was standing in front, with Riku next to her. Ayame was holding the edge of Diva's dress and leaning forward excitedly. Celis held on to Riku's pants, hiding behind his legs and only poking her face out enough to use her eyes to see the situation unfolding.

"**Welcome."** Diva said in a bright voice, bowing generously with a smile on her face. Riku looked frozen in a horrified state of distress, as he looked into Saya's face and realized that they were on opposite sides and there was nothing that he could do about it. Finding the will to move, he looked at the ground, ashamed of himself and unable to meet his friends' eyes. Diva's eyes narrowed and she lifted his chin swiftly but gently. **"Do not. Be strong right now, if only because I say so. Our happiness depends on it!"**

He hated it, but in a sense… she was right. His existence right now was due to her strength. Without her, he'd probably be unable to stay. Against his wishes, he kept his head held high, but refused to look at Saya, who looked sad, but it was more than he hoped for. She pitied him. Somehow, she knew of his dilemma, and looked on him with pity rather than disgust at his betrayal. Normally one doesn't enjoy being pitied, but Riku found it to be a great relief in this situation. It gave him a sense of hope.

Saya took her sword from Haji and frowned at Diva. "I don't know how you can be so calm, but… I won't let you get away with this! I'm going to free Riku and the twins from whatever evil you have plotted to use them for. At first… when you died… I felt sorry for you. But using people this way… I can NEVER forgive you for hurting the people I love!"

Diva grinned. **"This is going to be one exciting confrontation!"**

Sorry it took so long! I got so into reading Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles, that I haven't had as much time for writing as I would have liked. Anyway, please review. I hope you liked it. Now that I've finished reading the 166 chapters of Tsubasa that are out, I shouldn't be falling behind for a while now… Hopefully there will be another chapter soon! Until then…

Michiyo Ichimaru


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